The Day I Died
by He-loves-me-not
Summary: Look in to the eyes of insanity. Sin is defeated,but Yuna is still haunted by endless nightmares.Even her former enemy has risen from the dead, but only to fight in her side against the Lord, but what is Seymour´s true motive? S&Y.
1. The Beginning

Hello! This is my first fanfic ever, so please; don't be too hard on me with your criticism, okay? Thanks. This is the first part of my story, and I will continue it later, no matter what kind of reviews I receive. And please forgive my poor English, I am not a native speaker. 

And for all the Tidus- fans out there: this is not a Tidus& Yuna story, because we have seen too much of those, haven´t we? Been there, done that…

Okay, on with the show, then! 

Enjoy!!

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The day I died

Prelude

Sin is finally dead.

Those were her words at Luca, where Yuna and her companions held a great gathering for everyone to announce that they were indeed victorious from that great beast.

But the price for her victory was high; she lost her dear friend, whom she loved more than anyone else. He disappeared right in front of her eyes, and no matter what, her whistling did not brought him back.

And now, when everyone is looking at her at the stadium of Luca, she decides to look for him, to find him no matter what! Tidus hasn't gone to the Farplane; Yuna knows this in deep in her heart. 

She looks at the crowd: many people has lost their loved ones and their place to stay, but now, they are happy and eager to start a new life without the fear of Sin's constant threat.

Everyone is happy. Except for Yuna.

She should be happy, but something seems amiss.

Yes, she has brought the Calm, and yes, she has been appointed for the title of High Summoner. And everyone shall speak her name as the "one who saved Spira from destruction" from years to come in an awe in their voice, but something is troubling her. Her heart just feels so hollow, so empty somehow.

Yuna don't seem to realize for what does that disturbing feeling in her heart means, but she will find the answer soon enough…

At the same time, as Yuna is cheering the anxious crowd, a lone figure is standing in the shadows at the Luca stadium.

He has picked the perfect location to listen her speech in peace without interruptions. The ominous looking man has disguised in a dark cloak, concealing every inch of his identity and appearance. Although his appearance does seem to be quite suspicious, no one seems to pay attention to him, and it is exactly what he had in his mind as well.

"The dreams and the friends that have faded… Never forget them." Yuna encourages the people, and the stadium literally bursts into loud applause and the people are going wild: they never had any hope to defeat Sin, and now, Yuna had just done it.

Sin had terrorised Spira for a thousand years, and now it was finally over.

The feeling was…indescribable. 

"…Never forget them." The hooded figure whispers in a low voice, not particularly speaking to anyone.

He seems to be in his thoughts observing Yuna and her friends, but the show was almost over, and they were ready to leave, so was everyone else.

The wave of leaving people pushed the hooded man forward, towards the exit, and the man went with the flow.

Yuna walked to the dock along with her friends, Lulu, Rikku, Wakka and Kimahri. 

"It all ended yesterday…. What are we supposed to do now?" Lulu asks in bewilderment, and everyone has the same feeling of confusion, either they showed it or not.

"We actually don't have an pilgrimage to complete anymore, eh?" Rikku notes and Wakka walks next to Rikku.

"Yeah, ya right. Mebbe we should just go back to Kilika?" Wakka asks and everyone turns to look at him. "Yes…why not?" Lulu replies and turns to Yuna. "Yuna? What do you think about the idea? The idea _does _sound like a good one, and I am missing the cool sea breeze." Lulu sighs and looks at Yuna. 

"_You? YOU _miss the sea breeze and the hot sun?" Wakka interrogates Lulu with a deep sound of doubt in his voice and Lulu looks at him in her don't-try-anything-funny-or-I-zap-you-a-new-hair-look-with-my-thundaga-spell look and replies: " Despite my grumpy outlooks, I happened to _like _the sun and cool sea breeze, thank you very much." Rikku giggles at her sarcastic line, and Yuna smiles to them happily, and then she turns to look at an enormous ship. "Hey, lets ride with that one to Kilika!" Yuna yells happily and turns to look at her friends who are more that glad to go back home.

"Yeah, let's go already! Guys, come on!" Rikku shouts, and they follow her to the ship.

Yuna walks to the bridge as the last one of the party, and she has a funny feeling that someone is looking at her. 

She turns around, but she cannot see anyone: the deck is deserted and everyone is aboard the ship already.

But still…

Soon after their embark, the massive ship starts it´s journey to Kilika where Yuna and her friends would be finally at rest and to live a normal life.

Yuna walks behind the balustrade and she looks at the deep blue sea and a sudden rush of sadness flows trough her body, like it was only waiting for the right moment to burst out.

A tear escapes from the corner of her green eye, but she holds back the tears. "Tidus…where are you?" She thinks about him once again and she cannot forget the _dream _either.

She is walking in the Farplane, amidst the beautiful meadow of flowers.

Yuna is looking for Tidus, and suddenly a figure appears among the mist. 

It is walking towards her slowly, and Yuna believes it to be Tidus, obviously.

She runs to him with open arms, to greet him. But when Yuna comes to him, everything changes.

The man stares at her with eyes colder than ice, and she cannot recognise his face. A complete stranger. 

Her smile freezes, and her body feels like someone is holding her with strong, invisible arms, she cannot move. 

He glares deep into her eyes and Yuna feels her blood _frozen,_ so cold and…evil his stare was. Something…A very powerful emotion was in those eyes, and the man´s stare is so intense, as if his eyes could see right to her very soul! The figure whispers something to her, but she cannot hear what he is saying.

The man is so much taller than Yuna, and at the moment he touches to her shoulder, everything falls to darkness.

And somewhere is a little child, a boy, crying.

When she had that dream last night, she was sure, that it wasn't a typical nightmare, like it was supposed to come to her. It was like a bad sequel for a TV-show, and at the end of the credits, it always said, "To be continued…."


	2. Those restless dreams

Hello again! Thank you for your lovely reviews! I have to apologise to let you wait, my ever-so-dear mother accidentally poured wine to my keypad, and I was unable to update my story. Heck, I wasn't able write at all for the whole month, damn it! Oh well…here's the second chappy for the story, hope it is long enough? ; )  
  
Disclaimer: Never own FF X and never will. (But I can always dream, right?) To be straight, Square owns the characters, not me. Got it? But Ta-daah! I happen to own character Serian Honoré, so if you happen to steal it, his looks OR this story, I'll make you pay. cough Now let us proceed with the trilogy! Enjoy.  
  
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The Day I Died.  
  
Chapter 2: Those endless dreams…  
  
Yuna was glad to see Kilika again. Now that Sin was gone, she deserved a decent and happy life together with her friends. Yuna decided to move there for a while, just to sniff some new winds, and of course, her friends faithfully followed her to examine her new home island. Just living her life happily ever after, no troubles for tomorrow…"Oh, how I wished it could be true. But it will never be." Yuna thought with a certain assurence, as she watched the isle of Kilika slowly drawing close to her eyesight.  
  
The memories couldn't leave her so easily, and she knew it.  
  
After they departed for the quest for their new, happy lives, Yuna closed herself from the others a little. Those restless dreams couldn't leave her mind, and she was confused by it. The dream was so frightening, so…strangely familiar to her, like someone tried to say something to her. Like a silent cry…for help? For revenge? She did not know.  
  
Finally, the ship had come to journey's end, and the party was ready to leave.  
  
"Yuna, come. Let's go." Yuna heard Lulu's soft voice and turned to look at her friend. " I guess I got lost in my thoughts again…" Yuna smiled in apologising way and hurried to the others. After a few moments of wandering in the streets watching those oh-so fascinating shops, Yuna decided to pay one more visit to the Kilika temple, as if to bid farewell to the Yevon itself.  
  
It was clear that Yuna did not believe in its teachings anymore, after all the hypocrisy she had to face, after his numerous lies. She never did thought that a maester of Yevon could be so guilty for his immoral actions. Well…Yuna´s opinion changed after she found out that Lord Jyscal was indeed murdered, by his very son, Seymour.  
  
She never had faced so rotten system as Yevon was today, it looked like that the priests of Yevon were way too busy to betray their own teachings, that they did not pay attention to Seymour's suspiciously swift rise to power.  
  
She found the temple completely empty, not even the priests were inside.  
  
Wonder what happened?  
  
She looked around her: many statues seemed to stare at her accusingly with their cold, stony eyes and suddenly Yuna found the air around her a bit chilly. She decided to return to her friends and she turned to the entrance to go back. However, something or someone caught her attention like a bright flame for a moth.   
  
A dark shadow stood at the back of the temple, and Yuna turned to look at it.  
  
It wasn't a mere shadow, but a tall man disguised in a dark cloak.  
  
"Who are you?" Yuna asked flatly, wondering how she didn't notice him earlier.  
  
"Do you not remember me?" Asked a soft, smooth voice in front of her, and the man took a step closer to her. " Why do I have a feeling about hearing your voice before? Lower your hood! Just who are you?" Yuna asked, but in a sense, part of her knew somehow. The figure took another step closer, and he lowered his hood down, so that Yuna would be able to see him properly.   
  
"It is I…Seymour." His voice wasn't so smooth anymore. It was weak and weary.  
  
"I knew I had to see you, speak to you if I could-" Seymour said this with a clear desperation in his voice, witch Yuna had never heard before.   
  
Her eyes widened in disbelief and shock, how could he be back? "You…. Stay away from me. Don't come any closer!" She whispered like all air had suddenly vanished, still staring at him like he was some sort of a ghost. Well…practically he was.   
  
Yuna took several steps back and she was speechless. She simply stood there not believing her eyes.   
  
She was in a shock, simply staring at him, not realising that it wouldn't be quite safe to stay close to a ghost of a sadistical, megalomaniacal murderer.  
  
"Please hear me out, because I believe that-" He said with a low voice, like he needed every bit of strength to make her understand something very serious.  
  
"I do not know why you are not in the Farplane, but you _will go back!"_ Yuna abruptly broke off his speech and gathered her courage and stared straight in to his frosty lilac eyes.  
  
Seymour looked different somehow.  
  
His expression was exhausted and very, very serious. His constant smile had vanished like he had forgotten how people used their facial muscles to form an expression, which we people like to call as a smile.  
  
Nevertheless, she had no mercy left for him anymore.  
  
Yuna revealed her staff and looked at him with a blank look in her eyes.  
  
This is her duty.  
  
"Yuna, please listen to me…" Seymour approached her holding his arms in his sides as if to signify his peaceful intentions.  
  
"Go away." A simple answer, leaving no space for argue.  
  
_"Listen to me!"_ Seymour nearly lunged at her, as Yuna found his left hand holding her staff in a tight grip. She stared him in absolute terror and Seymour's expression seems to soften slightly as he sees Yuna´s terrified eyes.  
  
Never he has let down his guard and given in to anger. Never.  
  
"Still you do not understand…how I wished to let you see._ I will make you understand."_ A voice, barely a whisper escapes his lips and Yuna is truly confused.  
  
"U- Understand…? What?" she looks up to him with puzzled visage and she doesn't know was it a threat or something else, much deeper. They stand so close to each other, and suddenly Yuna pulls herself away from his grip as she remembers who is embracing her with his already dead arms.  
  
"Truly, you fear me…. But it was not always so. It does not need to be that way anymore, Yuna. It never needed to be that way." His low, soft voice reached her, and his eyes were locked into her own, like he tried to explain something else, something that he never dared to say to her.  
  
"What are you…?" Yuna asked, but Seymour suddenly hushed her with a soft touch to her rosy lips by his index and middle finger.  
  
"We have little time, before it begins. Listen to me carefully." A slight pause. He looked at her, who still stood there, not even making a simple step to flee far away him or trying to send him with the same eager passion that possessed her after the last battle they fought inside Sin.  
  
Courage. That was the trait what Yuna possessed and what Seymour always highly valued.  
  
"I came back here, not really long after Sin was defeated. You sent me, but not soon after that, something pulled me back here. To tell you the truth, I do not know what it was or most importantly, _why._ I have bee hiding here for some time, now following you, trying to catch a glimpse from you. Something is happening…it is starting soon. You will see soon enough." Seymour looks at her and sighs softly. "What do you think you're doing? Begging me for help?" Yuna´s voice suddenly sounded very cold, as it echoed in the temple.  
  
"…Yes." Seymour laid his eyes firmly to the ground not daring to look her enraged eyes.   
  
"I. Will. Not. Help. You. No. Absolutely not!" Her voice was dangerously low and she turned her back at him. "Since when have you truly cared for other people? For me? For your father, that you so innocently _murdered?"_ Yuna´s voice was now sad, desperate and accusing.  
  
"I know. I thought, no, I _still_ think that they are truly in a better place now. But that is not the matter; I had to warn you, Lady Yuna. Something is to happen, that will pose severe danger to both worlds, mine and…yours." he lifted his strange, lightly violet eyes to her back and wished for the best.   
  
_Her main concern had always been the happiness of the people, and always will be. She would not overlook this "threat". It is in her nature.  
_  
"Seymour…are you not angry with me? I did kill you, didn't I?" She turns around and Seymour meets her beautiful, yet sad eyes.  
  
_See? Didn't think that she would give in so easily…wasn't really so hard now, was it?_ He almost let out an amused chuckle, but with experienced will of his mind, he concealed it with skill he learned a long time ago.   
  
"I…I never thought that Sin would be defeated. I saw the sadness and constant fear in the eyes of my people, and I knew, that they would never be really happy. So I thought that living in death would be the best way to truly live. No fear for losing your loved ones, no threats for one's existence. Isn't it something to be cherished?" He took one cautious step closer to Yuna and looked at her. No, not just looked at her, but really _looked_ at her. Seymour knew that in a way, she was the same as him. Living as a half of two worlds prove to be extremely difficult, especially if your other half was despised and shunned by other. That was the reason, why he decided to meet her again.  
  
"But I never did blame you…for killing me. Actually, I was glad…I needed someone to set me free, take away myself and my sins along with my life." Seymour said quietly, making sure that he was not looking at his killer. Instead observing her now saddened face, he laid his gaze to the decorated wall next to him. If he ever felt this way, this would have been the first time. To actually admitting something to her, to confess, was so much harder than he thought.  
  
"But why?" Yuna asked her weary voice suddenly full of compassion. "I trust you would never be interested my personal misery….Yuna. And I do not think you would have chanced your opinion about me anyhow. Many things are indeed realized before it is too late, do you not think so too?" Seymour tore his gaze off from the boring wall and glanced at her.  
  
"Seymour, I…there are too many unanswered questions, too many memories…" Yuna began, but once again he interrupted her. "Please, think it over. But make it quick, I will see you again in the next night. I shall follow you, wherever you go. As you may understand, it is not exactly safe for me to show my face around here anymore…" Seymour casted his assuring smile for her and took a step backwards to eye her.  
  
"Yuna? You there? Come, time to dinner!" Lulu's patronising voice was heard outside of the temple and Yuna startled a bit. She casted an hesitating look at her former foe, who returned a assuring look towards her and amazingly troubled, yet charming smile. "Go. Your friends need you." he said assuringly and Yuna nodded once, and vanished trough the entrance.  
  
_Like I need you as well. But then again…people with so much to protect are so easy to_ _control…_He watched as she walked, nearly sprinted, away from the temple, with a familiar feeling squeezing his heart once again.  
  
Few moments later, when they enjoyed a marvellous dinner ( made by Lulu, naturally), Yuna decided to go to sleep early, because of the nightmares that haunted her last night gave barely none sleep at all. Tired like she never had any sleep at all, Yuna drowsily leaped into her bed and closed her eyes.  
  
She was at the meadow again, though somehow the atmosphere, which surrounded her, was colder and somehow _dismal_. And the man was there once again: in the distance stood the ominous shadow. This time she did not want to approach him, but somehow her feet just carried her away, directly to him. Slowly, the figure brightens up slightly, and the more closer she got, the clearer she saw the figure, but at same time cold bits her hard, and it is even harder to stop walking.  
  
"Yuuuunaaaaa…." She hears his rattling breath that whispers her name, and the shadow just grows larger and taller. Finally she is in the end of her walk. As if observing her, the creature holds her by his arms and embraces her like she was a long-lost relative. So cold and sinister his touch was, that it was extremely painful for her not to scream, and suddenly the man draws out a silver dagger and stabs her to the back swiftly. She did not scream as she died, and the little boy's sobs grew even louder and unbearable.

The ground opened up, and like a dying leaf in the autumn, she fell.  
  
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Well…this surely lifts the age limit a bit higher..   
  
What is Seymour's secret? Just what is he hiding? And why has he come back? Why I didn't make Yuna to be bitchier? Well, my dear readers, it will all come together soon! Stay tuned for the next episode of The Day I Died!   
  
Feel free to review, flame (with a helluva good cause, that is…) and, of course give constructive criticism, because, as sad as it gets, this is my very first story I have ever written.  
  
Yours truly,  
  
He-Loves-Me-Not.


	3. To escape the suffering

The Day I Died.  
  
Chapter 3. To escape the suffering.  
  
Yuna almost screamed with imagined pain when she woke up. She was panting and her heart seemed to pop out of her chest like it was a tiny, terrified bird in Yuna´s grip, trying desperately to flee.   
  
It seemed that she wasn't the only one who was awake, though the sun hadn't even rise yet. Yuna heard running footsteps so close to her house, and it picked her curiosity. She quickly changed her clothes and she peeked outside; something serious had just happened, and the whole town was in bewilderment. Terrified, hysteric screams were heard in the village, and Yuna lunged out of the house, only to witness a very frightening scene: people ran back and forth, some people cried hysterically when few other people seemed _amused.   
_  
An old woman, perhaps in her eighties, sobbed uncontrollably in the ground, making her look like a grey mass of fabric and aged hair. Yuna, who didn't have any clue of what was going on, tried to calm her down with the best that she could do. She looked at the old woman in the way she thought what would be the most assuring expression in this crazed moment, but the woman didn't seem to acknowledge her help. "Why…? What they had ever done to them? Why I had to survive to witness this shameful moment?" The woman held her hands in her face, and Yuna was more confused than ever before. "Please…. Tell me what happened." Yuna asked her voice full of compassion and the young woman looked in the eyes of the lady, who had undoubtedly seen something terrible. "The men in masks took Calik, Rina and their little girl away…they said that they had done something terrible. They were my dear neighbours…I- I just attended their little girl's 6th birthday party last night…" The old lady gazed at Yuna with her old, pleading eyes, and Yuna had to, _wanted_ to know more. "What possibly had they done so wrong, that those men arrested the whole family? And by whom?" Yuna asked with her voice not so formal anymore.  
  
"Isn't it obvious? Because for what they _are_. _That is their crime_. The inquisition squad decided that they were soon posing too great danger to the unity of Spira." A young man broke in to their conservation, but he did not seem to be too upset with the whole scene.   
  
"We both know, that it's not true, Karis! Those things that they claim to be true, are nothing but a big, fat lie!" A third person interrupted their debate and a desperate woman, in the mid of her twenties, looked at Yuna with her sad eyes. "The woman was an Al-Bhed, and her child was half Al-Bhed. The squad arrested them and the woman's husband for co-operating with her. They took the family away just a while ago…" The woman said looking to the way where the soldiers went dragging the woman, her husband and their little daughter.   
  
"What? That has to be some kind of a sick joke! No one would ever do such a terrible thing!" Yuna almost yelled in shock, and the young man gazed her hideously and opened his mouth.  
  
"Just what hole did you just crawl from? The signs are everywhere! That half- Guado freak, a very poor excuse for a Maester, is a fine example! If we will let those friggin´ Al Bheds and Guados running around in our _home_, everything what we_ humans_ took effort to build, will be soon in ruins! They should go home, and leave us be!" His furious speech created a very disturbing feeling in Yuna.   
  
_He speaks as the Al-Bhed weren't humans at all…How can he say that?_  
  
"Please listen, Lady Yuna. A new faction has risen from the ashes of the Yevonites. It's true, that Sin was defeated only few days ago, but they have been planning a takeover for quite a while. I think that the collapse of Sin and Yevon only accelerated the party's chances to reign. Those people has sent men all around Spira to change people's opinion about the Al- Bhed and the Guados for the worse. I am not sure why, though…But I'm afraid it is working very swiftly." She speaks quietly and Yuna wanted to inquire her further. "Wait…. How do you know this?" Yuna asks in confusion, but the woman only sighs. Suddenly her face tightens.   
  
Yuna follows her gaze, and sees four tall men approaching her and suddenly very terrified woman. The men are clothed in dark robes, and a cloth, which is working as a some kind of a belt has tied over their cloaks, just like Yuna´s, but their were red as blood, and a symbol of a golden bird, perhaps a phoenix, shone brightly from their dark uniforms. The terrifying part of them was their faces. They were hidden under silvery masks and the apertures for the eyes were mere slits, like snake's eyes.  
  
They seemed to be looking for someone. And in that moment one of the soldiers turned his searching gaze to Yuna. He clearly recognises her, and demands others to follow him. And now, when Wakka, Lulu and the others had already gone to Besaid last night, there would be no one to guard her. Now, that her aeons vanished due to Sin's destruction, she was utterly and completely defenceless.  
  
A thought pops into her mind. She obeys that small thought, and decides to run. And she does. She runs so fast as she had never run before! But after few moment of wandering in the woods near the temple, Yuna realized how stupid her plan actually was.   
  
_Just how am I supposed to run away? I'm on an island, for Yevon´s sake!   
  
What am I supposed to do? Swim?  
  
_She was now not only shocked but also tired. There would be no escape for her anymore…for the first time in her life, she felt truly angry…and even slightly disappointed. And frustrated. It looked like that her deranged, and just slightly dead, friend hadn't kept his promise, either. Yuna´s options were now reduced in to one single, and very poor, choice. She had to give her little hide-and-seek game up and surrender.   
  
But suddenly someone came from the village. Yuna didn't care anymore who it was, and she simply stood there waiting, her back turned to the path from Kilika. The footsteps ceased, and after a slight pause a familiar voice echoed in the woods. "I do not think that simply standing there would be quite efficient to hide yourself, my Lady. It has not proven to be quite…safe." Yuna opened her eyes, and turned slowly to look at Seymour, who had a genuine smile in his lips again. He was still cloaked and he lowered his hood to let her see him properly. "What about you, then? Weren't you supposed to be hiding as well?" Yuna asked tiredly, not really understanding his sarcasm. Seymour only raised an eyebrow. " I have…ways. Glad to see you, Lady Yuna." He said with his tone much warmer. "Is that really so?" Yuna asked coolly, and Seymour frowned. " I understand if you are upset for me coming this late, but I had a fine reason..." Seymour found her constant stare quite confusing, and he could have sworn, that he just heard her murmuring something like _"Men…"_ as she walked by him.  
  
"Why did you come back here?" She questioned him again, and still he couldn't give any convincing, honest reason. Not really waiting for reply, she walked right in front of him and eyed Seymour once again." If _you_ came back, it is possible, that _he_ may be back, too. Yes…that's had to be it." She had developed a nasty habit to speak with herself, and quite loudly as well, so that everyone else will most certainly hear.  
  
"Who are you talking about? …_Him_? Don't say that you miss that hyperactive child blonde boy, who had barely transcended his teens…" With his superior ability to notice certain things, he always could read people's moods and emotions, and for Yuna´s surprise, she was just as easy to read than an open book in the kitchen table.   
  
"Riiiight. Oh well, I suppose it doesn't matter, right? Because it just seems so_ tragic_ that he isn't really be able to return to_ you_. For some odd reason, he has been dead for a thousand years. Hmm… _wonder why?"_ Seymour folds his arms and stares into the beautiful moonlit sky with his face clearly sneering. "Cut it out, Seymour. You're no in position to judge me, Mr. "I-Have-Died-Four-Times-Already-but-Seems-That-I-Am-Still-Alive-And-Kicking", Oh? Please pardon me, "_still dead and kicking_". Yuna lashed, but frankly her mood had risen and she formed a joyous smile to Seymour.  
  
_I do not understand. Why is she smiling so warmly to me? Am I not the one who tried to use her and even in the end, tried to kill her? Why is she so…kind to me? I am the last person that deserves her grace…She doesn't realize that her guardian won't come back, does she?   
_  
Seymour hesitated, and for the first time in his life, he did not know what to do. He just frowned and tore his gaze from Yuna´s smiling lips and decided to stare longily to the astoundingly beautiful, full moon. "Seymour, I…" Yuna started to speak quietly, and Seymour eyed her curiously, but when she was continuing her sentence, something broke her off, as someone yelled her name. "Go!" She urged him, and Seymour nodded and disappeared into the woods.  
  
Yuna didn't think that the inquisition squad would have hunted her by calling her with her name, so she decided bravely stay where she was. "Yuna…? Ah, There you are." It was the same man, who had been rude at her earlier. "Listen…I came to apologise my ridiculous behaviour earlier, and I decided to come and find you. Those creepy soldiers have already left, and I'd like to offer you company to home, yes?" Something about his voice alerted Yuna. It was sleek, cold and some certain way demanding. The man offered his hand to her, but she frowned and looked at him suspiciously.  
  
_No, maybe I'll pass this time, thank you very much._  
  
"Come on, I won't bite." The man said, imitating a friendly tone, but his voice was oozing that certain coldness, that even scared Yuna a bit.  
  
_No, I really don't want to._  
  
" Fine." He said flatly and took her hand in a tight grip. Still she didn't move, but one certain question popped into her head. "What happened to that family that were taken away? Why were they arrested?" Yuna questioned the man firmly, and the man looked back at her with his silvery eyes full of doubt and disbelieve. "Arrested? Hah, are you really that naïve, girl? I didn't think that you could have been so simple…like hell they were arrested. They never even got off from this island." he gave his answer with a cold smirk, and Yuna really started to fear him, although she did quite a good job hiding it. " W-What do you mean?" she managed to ask and once again, the man locked his eyes into hers. "They were executed." He answered flatly, like he was discussing about the weather, but Yuna wasn't so unconcerned. She felt like fainting, but she struggled to stay in her feet. " I have to admit, it served them right. I never did think that those Al-Bhed _filth_ possessed such danger to us before the Lord showed us their true intentions. Truly, a remarkable man, he is… Now, come with me. The inquisitors knew that you were quite clever, so they didn't go to look for you themselves, instead, they sent me. Quite an honour, frankly. As I said, come. _Now_."  
  
_No!!_   
  
"No! I will not! Let me go." Yuna tried to free her hand, but his grip on her arm was so tight, it hurt. " Only in your dreams, maybe. If you don't come willingly, I will have to drag you. And we don't want that to happen, do we?" he spoke to her like she was a little, naughty girl, and Seymour, who had observed the situation from a distance suddenly had enough.  
  
_"Let her go."_ A simple demand, but his voice was dangerously low and serious. The rather short and very surprised man turned quickly around and met shockingly tall half- Guado, who also was shockingly irritated.  
  
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A/N: Jay! Chapter three is finally up! I did found some serious misspelling and errors in the previous chappy, and I tried to chance the chapter for two hours until I finally gave up.  
  
Argh, sometimes computers can be really frustrating. And as I have told, this isn´t going to be a Tidus& Yuna story, but she does find someone else…you may already know who he is. ; )   
  
This story is going to be partly quite dark, at some point, and there is a strong theme of discrimination throughout the story, thanks to the new faction. But in the dark times, love for each other finds a way.; )  
  
I thank you and bow to everyone, who has spent their precious time reviewing my story, and especially I thank you, Lucrecia LeVrai, who actually read my fic and thought it was good. Cheers! ; )  
  
Now off I go to write the 4th chapter! And do not forget to review, constructive criticism is always appreciated. = )  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own FF X, but sometime I will….ahhhaaahaaa! Okay, maybe not…but I do own the character Serian Honoré entirely. Steal it, his name or the looks or this story, and you're in trouble. ahem. Byyyyeee! 


	4. Forever in a dream

The Day I Died.  
  
_Chapter 4. Forever in a dream.   
_  
Seymour had thought of a good plan to get Yuna out of Kilika safely. Yuna would have sworn that he would have used his powerful magic to slay that frightening man mercilessly, but when she thought about his suggestion to flee from the island, it sounded rather persuasive and therefore the life of that pathetic man was spared.  
  
Seymour, Yuna and the foul-mouthed man walked back to the village, and Seymour hid himself again under the black cloak. Yuna really had a hard time to figure out just exactly _how_ he was able to conceal his brightly blue locks of hair under his black hood, but he did manage to do it amazingly well, considering that because of his half-Guado heritage, his vivid, blue hair was pointing out in almost every gravity- defying direction. Considering his tall height, and the dark cloak, which had almost become his number one style in fashion, he looked exactly like a part of the inquisition squad. Although he lacked the silver mask and the belt, he still scared everybody lifeless and they moved quickly out of their way at the same time looking very nervous still staring at the Golden Trio, when they walked past the village.   
  
The foul-mouthed man had been quite pale and sweaty as they departed the isle of Kilika in a ship, which was supposedly heading to Bevelle, Spira´s capital city.  
  
After a few moments of wandering in the ship, the party hid in the cabin under the deck.   
  
A pressuring silence fell in the tiny room, as the man gazed Yuna and her abnormally tall companion nervously. Yuna sat in the bed calmly and Seymour observed the man hideously as trying to kill him with his stare, which was quite comical, as he had to bend his neck to avoid his head to bang to the ceiling.  
  
Yuna watched Seymour with the corner of her eye, and pondered the situation. She was almost alone with this man, and yet he had not showed any kind of hatred towards her at any point. It was not possible that he had forgiven her. Or was it? However, hiding his intentions was Seymour's one of the many abilities, which he was quite a professional at. But still, he had not showed any kind of hatred even after her very own hands murdered him! Of course, In Spira, death would have not meant the end for soul, if it wasn't sent to the Farplane…Before the revealing of Seymour's crime, Yuna had respected him, and even looked up to him as a man to be obeyed, even liked…but the rude man interrupted her thoughts by his talk.  
  
"You're going to kill me now, aren't you?" The man asked flatly. Not really a question, but a mere sad statement, as he looked at Seymour. " To kill you? What are you talking about?" Yuna lifted her confused gaze to him, and the man looked at the girl with a blank expression. "It is clear. You don't need me anymore, and it would be quite risky to let me go. So, do it. Don't extend this." He demanded without any sign of desperation or remorse, and Yuna could do nothing but to look at him.   
  
After a few moments of silence, she stood up and looked at the man straight to the eyes.   
  
"What is your name?" She asked with her familiar kind voice, smiling lightly. "What?" The man looked at her, not really understanding what she was saying. "Your name. Who are you?" Yuna asked, and the man could not believe his ears. "I am Karis. But I seriously doubt that you are going to need it, because I'm soon dead anyway." He spoke to Yuna with highly irritated tone, as if not really caring about anything. " Don't worry. We are not going to kill you." Yuna smiled kindly at him, and both Karis and Seymour looked at her surprised. "We're not?" Seymour asked and looked at Yuna. He looked clearly astonished and simply stood there, staring at her with an expression "I-did-not-hear-that-and-most-certainly-I-do-not-get-her." Written all over his face.   
  
"I am not an murderer. You are going to get us safely to Bevelle to see this "Master" of yours. After that, you can go." Yuna continued, and it was Karis´ turn to look confused. "What? I don't believe this!" Seymour sighed and took her hand into his and murmured something what sounded like "_We need to talk."_ very quietly, and very quickly they disappeared trough the door.  
  
"Seymour, just what are you doing?" Yuna broke off before Seymour had a chance to tell her anything. "No, Yuna, just what are YOU doing?" He shot at her in bewilderment and still his rather big hand kept her much smaller and smoother hand in its grip. " As you may have already noticed, I happen to believe a thing called "second chance", Seymour." Yuna lectured and Seymour just stood right in front of her. "Obviously, Yuna." He sneered and just stared at her pretty, un-matched eyes.  
  
"Seymour…I'm sorry." Yuna spoke her voice clearly quivering, and she looked at him wanting to say something, anything, to make Seymour understand that she was genuinely sorry for her deeds.  
  
Seymour looked at her with an expression Yuna couldn't understand, and he opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but he remained silent. Yuna could almost, just almost see how he battled against his reasoning deep inside.   
  
After a moment that felt like an eternity for Yuna, she got rather uncomfortable about the silent moment, and still Seymour simply stood right in front of her doing nothing. As if he had completely forgotten what he was supposed to do next!  
  
"Seymour?"  
  
"Mmmmh-yes?"  
  
"Could you…let go of my hand now? No offence, but your hand is getting rather sweaty…" She eyed him with a concerned look, and Seymour retrieved his hand from hers quickly. "Eh? I'm sorry. Errr…I haven't been quite myself lately. Coming back to life may do that to you." He desperately tried to look away from her lovely face, and he, once again, ended up staring some quite interesting spot.  
  
""Coming back to life"? Seymour, are you _alive?_ I mean, you're not dead anymore?" Yuna´s jar literally dropped and it was her turn to stare at him with a face that undoubtedly would have implied her escape from the loonies´ house.  
  
"Yes. At first, I sincerely thought that I was still dead, when you tried to send me _again_ in Kilika, (this time he casted rather ugly look at her) but now, I am certain that I am back." He almost triumphantly lifted his chin and smiled at her with all his Guado-glory.   
  
"Well…. Ahem. That's good for you. Very good." Yuna encouraged him weakly, and her mouth was still open from disbelief. "If you don't mind, I'm going to the cabin to rest. I am not feeling really good. The shaky boat, you see…err…don't do good for my…err…. stomach. Yeah." she weakly smiled at him, and Seymour just looked at her with eyes full of doubt.   
  
Slowly she walked back to the cabin, and the foul-mouthed man, Karis, immediately stood up from the bed eyeing her warily.  
  
"Out. Now." She demanded like she was in some sort of a trance, and Karis yelped like a scared puppy. "Out? Oooookay. I'm going now…. going…going…gone." He quickly vanished trough the door and Yuna sat on the bed feeling sick. Not from the rocky boat trip, no. But the idea that she was alone with an insane murderer, made her feeling vulnerable, and so defenceless.   
  
_"What was I thinking for not talking to my friends first? How naïve I always am...now there isn't any guarantee that he won't slash his revenge on me, forwhat I …did to him. And most importantly, I don't have the benefit of sending him to the Farplane anymore. Oh…what am I going to do now?"_ Sighing quietly, Yuna gradually let herself to be lulled to sleep by the ship's silent swaying, and she slowly fell to a restless dream in her despair, and she didn't worry about anything anymore.   
  
Seymour began to think again about certain things, a bad hobby what he had been doing for years now. He once again tried to remember certain moments from his past, that unpleasant time, what he had always despised. Usually it would not do good, if a person would try to live in his past and forget to live, but for Seymour, it was the only way to escape from reality into his own peace when he felt the need to go.  
  
And unfortunately, this happened quite often.  
  
He absently stared at the grey, roaring ocean, and leaned to the balustrade when that short, bold and especially rude man came to his present once again.  
  
"Karis…was it?" he simply asked and the blond man nodded. "I guess you wished to hear about the faction's most recent actions?" Karis asked and was now standing straight, like a good soldier should.   
  
" Of course. And how is your Master doing now when Yevon is at verge of collapse?" Seymour asked without removing his gaze from the roaming sea. "Fabulously…. My Lord. He has been quite restless, given the circumstances, and he has noticed your present here. I am most sure, that he wishes to meet you." A sickening smile crept to the blond´s lips, and he bowed to Seymour slightly. Seymour noticed this, but he didn't react. Instead he only asked one simple question: " What does he wish from the High Summoner?".   
  
"Not much, my lord. Only few sendings, that's all. The faction is soon in high need for every apprentice summoner they can get. And given her famous reputation, it would also do good for _our_ reputation." The man still wore his unpleasant grin, making him look even more pathetic than before. Seymour had enough from his ridiculous face, so he gave a sign for the man to leave. Before the man disappeared behind the corner, Seymour addressed him once more. "Karis…you are a good spy, your Master should be proud. But there's no need to speak any of our conversation to the summoner. Agreed?" The man nodded, and vanished below the deck.  
  
Seymour's mood had risen a bit, after the spy's rather good news. Seymour had lost almost all of his power as a Maester after Sin's defeat, but it was not a problem for him to rise to the power once more. Not at all.  
  
Seymour had not thought that the faction had been able to rise to power so swiftly, and he didn't think that their actions would have been so severe against normal citizens, but it certainly was not a problem for him to solve. Not his problem…not yet.  
  
Climbing up the social ladder was certainly ability in what he was good as breathing air to others, and Seymour's thirst for power was even greater than his lust for acceptance, and this made him an excellent opportunist. Even Yuna had witnessed this, when Seymour had been appointed as a Maester, after his father's _"natural"_ passing.  
  
Yuna…her lovely face flashed in his eyes, and his thoughts wandered to her grace.  
  
She was attractive, her laughter seemed to fill his soul and she…No.  
  
Not letting himself to be distracted by her, Seymour quickly drove her image away from his thoughts, and he gained the power over his own mind again.  
  
_"She…she would suffer for what she did to me._   
__

_Suffer? No. It is such a strong word…"_Seymour had not yet solved the question about her punishment, but he was sure, that she would be most sorry.   
  
It would be so easy and blissful to live forever in a dream, but Seymour knew that it was not the answer this time.   
  
_"Yes…the plans are going well. Really well."_ With this thought he headed for their cabin, with a smile playing in his lips.  
  
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A little explaining here: Inquisitor = in Latin; Inquisitor =(´investigator, interrogator) A member of the inquisition judicature. Figuratively: torturer, tormentor.

Inqvisition= in Latin; Inquisitio= (´inquiry, hearing) A institute wich was founded by the catholic church in the Middle Ages, a torture judicature to condemn heretics. Figuratively: torture,torment.

A/N: I am terribly sorry, for not updating so often than I thought, but my summer holiday has just started and I was busy laying about the house doing nothing…; )  
  
Did you like it?   
  
Hated it?   
  
Give your share of the reviews, so I know how to make this little baby to a diamond!   
  
But alas, for my English is far from perfect, I'm in a burning need for a beta-reader.   
  
Interested? Anyone? If you are, throw a mail to my mailbox, and I´Il contact you.  
  
For those people who thought my story is quite confusing, let me say one thing:  
  
_Sentences such as this what you are reading about now_ is a sentence used to describe characters brain activity, i.e., thoughts. Hope you weren't too confused.   
  
This chappy didn't move the plot much, but I have two months to write more, so don't worry! : )   
  
And thank you all, who actually read my fic! Support means so much to me, especially for I am only a beginner in the fine field of writing.  
  
Thanks, Lucrecia, for your kind support! And to you, Laura;   
  
Hyvää kesää! Ja kirjoita itsekin joku hyvä tarina, en malta odottaa sieluntuotostasi! ; )


	5. The past and the present

__

_The Day I Died._

Chapter 5. The past and the present.

Yuna was sleeping in her bed, when Seymour came in. There was no one else in the cabin, so he decided to sit in the chair and wait for her awakening. As time passed, and Seymour didn't want to wake her, he just simply stared at the wall in front of him. He, however, did not really see anything, as his thoughts drifted somewhere else…   
  
Once again he ended up thinking about his past, his mother, who had died for him.   
  
She became an aeon for him, Anima, as her last, desperate act to save her son, who was no older than eight at the time.   
  
Lord Jyscal, Seymour's father, had banished both of them to the small island of Baaj, because other Guado seemed to resent, even despise the little half-human, half-Guado boy. Jyscal was sure that this was the only way to save his country from a likely civil war, because the Guado didn't want to see their race, which they were really proud of, to blend with the Humans, which they considered as an inferior race, and vice-versa.  
  
Jyscal knew that Seymour would be haunted for the rest of his childhood for what he was; _"special", "unique", "the only one"…_These names sounded rather nice, didn't they? But Seymour knew better. He was no "special", he was a freak.  
  
These names what he was called, assured that he was to be left alone, fortunately, as his father was in such a high position among his people, the loneliness shielded this little boy from the taunts of other children, from the painful names the others would have given him mercilessly, without ending.   
  
After those years they had spent on Baaj, without any contact from his father, Seymour's mother became seriously ill, and she knew that some day, very soon, she would die.  
  
But her son, Seymour, was too young to be left alone, so the most natural thing for a mother to do, she decided to stay with him to the end. Therefore, _Anima_ was born.  
  
That day she promised him power, _and that day she corrupted him_.  
  
Now that his mother was gone, there would be no one to protect him from the taunts of others, and no one to hush his cry, when the world became too great and painful to bear.

He never had anything, except for _power.   
_  
Knowing, that his father was a great man among his people, Seymour knew that someday he would lead them as well. Many years later, when he returned to Guadosalam, he had indeed thought of something! Such a malicious conspiracy was formed, and now, finally, he could be content. After all, was not power achieved trough sacrifices?  
  
There he was again, thinking about his past. These memories haunted him, the names he was called, the pain he received, his mother's voice that echoed in his mind every time he summoned his aeon, his father's dying groans, when the poisonous wine reached his lips…a nightmare, which never ceased.  
  
So, if _he_ had these kinds of memories, _this pain,_ would there be others who suffered more than him? Of course there would be. No happiness without destruction, no bliss without death…

A utopia he would have created.   
  
And this…. This…girl somehow managed to do the deed, which was believed to be impossible! She destroyed Sin, and his hopes of salvation along with it.  
  
Seymour frowned and banished those ill-fated thoughts away from his mind, and he just simply ended up staring at the young woman, who was sleeping in her bed. _"Sleeping rather restlessly,_ _actually…"_ Seymour added in his thoughts, and watched as the girl squirmed and whimpered in her sleep.   
  
When this didn't stop after a moment, Seymour began to worry. He got closer to the bed, where Yuna was resting, and kneeled before her to look at the girl more closely.  
  
She was soaking wet from cold sweat, and she was frowning in her sleep.   
  
_"A nightmare."_ Seymour quickly concluded, as he too, had too much experience from them.  
  
He touched her cheek gently, and in that moment something happened.  
  
Yuna hurtled herself quickly to sitting position gasping for air at the same time, like she was about to suffocate. She looked around the cabin, like she had forgot were she was! After a moment her gaze wondered around the tiny cabin, she noticed Seymour, who was still on his knees on the floor next to her bed.   
  
At first, Yuna said nothing. She just stared at him, her expression first scared, and then a relieved smile was on her lips, when she remembered who the man was.   
  
"Seymour…thank you." She said with a weak voice, and still it was full of kindness what was almost her trademark. "But Yuna…for what?" Seymour asked with concern, which was almost, but not quite, real. He really didn't understand what she was saying, but nonetheless he did not like to show it.  
  
He looked at her, and a sudden need to dry the sweat pearls on her forehead popped into his head, but he managed to restrain that unfamiliar feeling away, and he concentrated to observe her with an expression, which Yuna would read as concern.   
  
"You brought me back. _You saved me."_ Yuna said quietly, and she did something what she, nor Seymour never thought of. She gently took his hand into her own smiling at him kindly at the same time. He looked back into her colourful mirrors of so many emotions, and her expression was so sincere, so _pure,_ that Seymour looked away hastily. "_So innocent"…_this thought almost made him shiver from pure respect towards her. Blood of others did not cover her hands entirely_…."Unlike yours did."_ A small voice in his head whispered into his ear, and Seymour could almost feel the cold breath of his conscience. With a small, the tiniest sting to his heart, Seymour remained silent and almost wished that he could just run away from her, that Yuna would leave him alone to dwell in his own thoughts again.   
  
Twenty-eight years he had been free from this tiny voice in his head, and now it had found him. This thought almost made him shiver.  
  
They simply sat there, holding their hands for a moment that Seymour wished it would end immediately and in the same time, he didn't want to let go of her. A small part of him wanted this moment last forever.  
  
Seymour had began to like silent moments such as this, and for once, he was even happy, at least a while. There was no more that uncomfortable silence, just contented peace…just what he had always wished.   
  
"Aaaw. Aren't we getting comfortable?" Karis drawled, and shut the door behind him. Seymour let go of Yuna´s hand immediately and glared at the man. Karis sneered at Yuna and slumped down on the free chair, still grinning like an idiot.  
  
_"No, not an idiot, but a mental case."_ Yuna added in her mind, and made a mental note to herself: _"Never be alone with that man"._ Yuna suddenly felt a tiny shiver run along in her spine, as she discovered what Karis was staring at. Her.   
  
He didn't even try at any means to hide his lustful staring, and a sickening little sneer crept into his lips as Karis continued his unrestrained stare. Yuna, shy girl as she was, started to feel quite uncomfortable by his sudden chance of _opinion_ about her, and she tried to look anywhere but at him.  
  
They both, Seymour and Yuna, observed that indescribable rude man with the corner of their eyes.  
  
"We are soon at Luca, less than half an hour by now…you should get ready." Karis said, not removing his stare from the High Summoner.  
  
Yuna was quite bothered by this, so she rose up from the bed and smoothed out the wrinkles of her purple skirt anxiously.   
  
Seymour also stood up so much as he was able to, and spoke to him with a questioning tone. "Don't you have anything else to do?". Karis startled and stood up immediately. "Ahh.. Err…Yes. Yes, I have. I'll be going now." Again, he yelped and vanished trough the door, and Yuna followed him. "Yuna, where are you going?" Seymour asked as she stepped outside. "To the deck. Ah…I need fresh air a little bit, that's all." she said quickly and she too vanished outside.  
  
Cursing at her bad excuses, he followed her to the deck.  
  
Seymour found her as she was leaning to the railing, and it was clear that she needed to be alone for a while. He didn't dare to interrupt her thoughts, so he leaned to the wall and observed her from the shadows.  
  
Yuna enjoyed watching the sea; it made her understand many things from she weren't able to find correct answers. Why_ he_ came here, and not Tidus? What does he want? And what does _she_ want? So many unanswered questions, which even the ancient sea couldn't give answers to. _"Arrgh. What is with him? Why he just sat there when I was asleep, and didn't do anything…bad? He had the perfect moment to draw forth his revenge on me. Why he just…held me?"_ Yuna, being so confused as she was now, tried to not think about him, or that terrible dream she had either in the cabin.  
  
Trying not to think about it made her of course think about it again.   
  
In the dream, she was usually in the meadow, looking for someone, but not really knowing who. Tidus´ image had vanished from her dreams a long time ago, but being replaced only by another. A much darker, sinister one.  
  
That man…it always, _every time_, felt like he was able to look inside her very soul itself, and his gaze burnt her soft skin all the way to the bone.  
  
And his eyes…dark and dismal they were, and the eyes´ bright blue, almost violet colour reminded Yuna of…him. _Seymour._  
  
The man was one of the tallest people Yuna had ever seen, and he was well over a head taller than she. With his raven dark hair, he was not easily missed in the crowd, but only his physical appearance didn't reveal anything from his intentions.

He always whispered cold, dead words to her ear, but she wasn't able to understand them.  
  
Not yet.  
  
But the man always,_ always_, managed to hurt her. If not physically, but verbally.  
  
Whispers in the darkest of nights, dismal and atrocious they were! But what scared her the most… she did not try to stop him in those dreams anymore. A tiny, slowly growing part of her _wanted_ to be hurt. That part wanted to embrace him; it wanted to be _touched_ by him.  
  
_To be touched…_something pressed to her right shoulder gently during her deep thoughts and Yuna startled automatically. She turned around quickly only to meet Seymour's deep, violet eyes that were directed straight to her frightened ones.   
  
"Alone in your thoughts again? There is something troubling you, I know. But if you do not want to talk to me, I understand. But trust me, when I say you have nothing to fear. Well…I have to admit that I am a little curious. Care to share with me your worries?" Seymour asked with a new, friendly tone, and Yuna could not help but to smile.   
  
The rest of the trip Yuna explained her dreams to Seymour, and he listened and frowned in every time she explained the parts where the man tortured her, and not once did Seymour interrupt her. He listened every word, and in the end, he turned to gaze the ocean one last time, before they disembarked. His head was lowered, and he seemed to think feverishly. When Yuna tried to look at his face, he quickly turned to face her, and the corners of his lips rose again.  
  
"Did you thought of something already?" Yuna asked in bewilderment and Seymour turned his smiling, warm gaze to her once again. "No…but it seems that we are at Luca already. Come!" Seymour smiled at her under his black hood, and grabbed her smooth hand into his. They descended the steps to the pier and Karis followed the couple few meters behind. He switched his gaze from Yuna to Seymour's hand, which still held her own in a pleasant grip. His eyes narrowed to slits by this sight, and he continued to follow the couple with dark thoughts roaming in his mind.  
  
The city had chanced, indeed. People seemed more anxious, more alarmed as men dressed in black cloaks, red belts and silvery masks wandered in the city. In the people's living area of the city, they seemed to check every family systematically, house by house.  
  
But people did not seem to be shocked by this; some of them were practically following the soldiers as they forced their way to people's houses and every now and then dragged someone out of their home.  
  
There were people who even dared to mock cruelly those people who were arrested.  
  
No one seemed to defend those people, and as Yuna continued to observe the situation more carefully, it was clear that they didn't even want to defend them. Instead, many people had a disgusted look on their faces as they watched when the soldiers dragged more people out. Those same people who had such a foul expression also avoided the captives, as they were filthy, rabid rats.  
  
And everywhere, _everywhere,_ were hanged blood-red banners and flags with a golden bird, a phoenix, painted in.  
  
_"Behold the Lord's power!"_ a small sign said. _"The Mudbloods are inferior. Do not let them_ _corrupt you!"_ another proclaimed. _"The Lord shall favour you too, when you join our cause!_ _Spira´s future depends on you!"_ the third, and the biggest almost yelled it's message to the masses from the high wall, where it was hanged.  
  
"What has happened?" Yuna whispered quietly, and Seymour remained silent. He had expected something like this, but not anything so _severe._  
  
"This, _my Lady,_ is the doing of our faction. The Lord has trusted a great task to the people of Spira: to purify the earth from the corrupted, the false and the infidel seed of the Mudbloods! They are plaguing our people, and staining our noble blood.  
  
The people who are false by their blood, such as _he, -"_ Karis nods to Seymour with a very disgusted look in his eyes, "- will eventually ruin this land with their pathetic existence. Only the humans are glorious in the end. That's what the Lord says, and we shall greet him as our liberator from the torment and the warmongers of Guadosalam."  
  
He ended his speech with a triumphant and ignorant smile, and Seymour literally glared at the man, and Yuna too felt a tingle of anger bubbling deep inside her.  
  
"Yuna, please, wait here. I have something to say to this _dwarf."_ Seymour stated, as if talking about the weather, but Yuna knew better than that. _" With pleasure,_ Seymour._"_ Yuna answered and glanced at Karis very, very coldly.   
  
In an instant, Seymour had dragged the short man in a darkest corner of the alley where they were, and grabbed his clothes with both hands with a firm grip, not so far from the place where the throat was located. Making sure Yuna wasn't close enough to hear, he simply started to speak with a very silent and cold voice.  
  
"I would cut off your head, if it would stood any higher from the ground, _Karis_. Remember whom you are working with. I do not wish to hear anymore of that previous rubbish, and Yuna surely does not want to hear it either. And one thing…too long you have watched the Summoner with that pathetic lust of yours. YOU are pathetic.  
  
Do not follow her around. Do not haunt her steps anymore. She may have not noticed you in Luca, and to tell you the truth, you are worse pursuer than a shoopuff. I spotted you in the second you walked into the stadium. Go harass someone else; the Summoner is off-limits. And, I told you this already: If you betray me,   
  
I. Will. Kill. You. I hope I don't need to say this again." Seymour finished, and let go of Karis´ shirt. Instead of whimpering in the corner, begging for his dear life, Karis stood straight and stared directly to Seymour's eyes and smiled a defiant and arrogant smile.   
  
"What? You would kill your spy? Who would lead you to the Lord then? The _Hypello,_ perhaps?" His voice cracked, and he started to laugh with a mocking tone, and for the first time in his life, Seymour lost his temper.   
  
Faster than a blink of an eye, Seymour had a tight grip of the man's throat, and surprisingly enough, Karis wasn't laughing anymore.  
  
"Being a Maester gives you some…privileges. In order for your brains to comprehend, let me say this simply: I have more money what you could ever attain.  
  
You think I am not capable to just simply _hire a new spy?"_ Seymour let his words ring in the cool air, and a little later Karis gulped and took a step backwards.  
  
_"Well, I thought so too. "_ Seymour said quietly and let another smile form in to his lips.  
  
Meanwhile, Yuna was getting rather bored waiting the two men, and she started to walk back and forth in the alley. After ten minutes, she was getting rather cold in the dark without any sunlight, and just when she seriously started to think to do some jumps to stay warm, a cold voice interrupted her.   
  
"A…Summoner? Who are you?" the speaker was a man, and when she turned around, it would have been too late to run away.   
  
Life's a bitch, isn't it? Just when you thought that everything was going well, it smacks you right across the face and laughs, and then everything goes down the sewer.   
  
An Inquisitor was standing right in front of her in all his menace and sinister glory.  
  
He took a step closer to her and Yuna stiffened from fear. "What's wrong? If you haven't done anything, why do you look me like I am some kind of an murderer?" with a low chuckle, he then added,"-well, maybe I am. Now. Look at me." Slowly, Yuna lifted her head and the soldier stopped in his tracks.   
  
"Your eyes! You…you are a Mudblood!" He literally hissed the last word and revealed his sword from his cloak. "And now, _Mudblood_, now you will die." He stated with a weird, blank voice, and took another step forward.  
  
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A/N: Whew, quite a long chapter! I am, still, in a burning need for a beta-reader!  
  
I prefer someone who speaks British English, because I am not really fond of   
  
The American slang, so if there is anyone who is interested, let me know. ; )  
  
Lucrecia, I would be more than glad, if you would help me in this! Yea! = )  
  
As ever, I really need some reviews to give me enough spirit to go ooon….  
  
So, please, review! It makes me want to dance and do some other...err.. things.   
  
I hope that "dwarf" thingy didn´t mislead you…Yeah, I know that there aren´t   
  
Any _dwarfs_ in Spira, but what else is small enough to taunt you with? ; )


	6. Confrontation and surrender

_The Day I Died.  
_

Chapter 6. Confrontation and surrender.

Instead of waiting helplessly her approaching death sentence, Yuna decided to do something drastic. She folded her arms, lifted her chin up and _glared_ at the hooded killer.

"Why you are not running away? I would have enjoyed a good hunt after all…" The soldier drawled, and Yuna could hear a slight hint of amusement and disappointment at the same time in the man's so cold, frightening voice. "Come on, run for me, girl. It is so much enjoyable that way." The man said this with false, persuasive voice, and Yuna could do nothing but to shiver from his absolute lack of mercy, compassion, and _humanity.  
_

Something in her head just _snapped._

Suddenly the soldier startled from utter confusion, as he saw Yuna´s reaction. He expected her to throw herself to his feet, begging for her dear life, weeping like a madwoman. He expected anything else but _this._

Yuna smiled her brightest and sunniest smile, and seeing the soldier's shocked reaction, she simply, beyond all reason, started to giggle.

She giggled and couldn't really even stop. "You- you dear to laugh at me?" came a quiet and low whisper, almost a hiss, as the soldier was absolutely dumbfounded, and at the sight of this, Yuna started to laugh even louder.

"Not one-- Absolutely NOT ONE Mudblood shall laugh at me-- You should crawl on the ground begging for your life! Kneel down on the ground now, beg for mercy, and I shall end your life quickly!" The man yelled after founding his lost confidence. The young woman gave him her most innocent look and replied to him with the most mocking voice she could muster: "Ah...Such small words from such a small man." She gave him her last genuine smile, but quickly furrowed her brows, and stared at the man accusingly.

"Hmph…Do you feel good killing other people? Do you get thrills about it? You see, I must have missed few essential points, because I do not see any glory you may have attained by murdering others, and I see you have also lost your pride as well.  
  
Following your Lord's orders blindly, like some lovesick puppy…you are nothing but a common criminal. And that's what you're ever going to be." Yuna finished, and no one has ever seen before so disgusted and ugly look on her face that she had now.

Despite her very young age, Yuna had once again succeeded to overwhelm her opponent. The Inquisitor was totally, utterly, silent. Yuna could almost see his inner battle as his long-lost conscience, if he ever had one, was battling against the blind hatred and rage for the Al-Bheds and other, non-Yevon, non-"Human", races.

Sadly, the latter, the malicious side, seemed to have won the battle inside his head.

At the same time Seymour and Karis walked out of the tiny, shadowy alley only to confront the detrimental and very, very dangerous situation.

The two men wavered in the shadows, as they were facing the hesitating, yet murderous member of the Inquisition Squad. However, the man was not able to see them, as they were hidden in the darkness, but he was able to see Yuna, who stood only few meters in front of him.

As seconds passed, Yuna´s confidence seemed to run out with every silent moment went by. The soldier wasn't talking, he wasn't making any kind of noise nor movement, and this alarmed Yuna. He was clearly up to something.  
  
She hesitantly took the tiniest step backwards, towards Seymour and Karis, as the pressuring silence grew more intense, like it was a calm, sultry moment before the releasing storm and soothing rain.

Karis was about to rush to help her, but Seymour stopped him with his hand.  
  
There is time for them to make a splendid entrance to this scene, and this was not it.  
  
He knew, that only rushing things would possibly only worsen them, so he decided to wait patiently.

And soon, after a while, the soldier lifted his masked face to look at her. Yuna, who's confidence had now vanished like a pile of ash to the swirling wind, blinked in confusion and took another, slightly longer, step against the wall.  
  
Her ideas had now run out, and she didn't know what to do next.

How to speak without angering him further?   
  
How to act confident when you almost fainted from this atrocious fear?

_"How to save my life?"_ Yuna thought desperately, but her plans were interrupted- the soldier was now right in front of her- she could have taken off his mask and peek what kind of a face of a monster lurked beneath the facade, but for her surprise, she didn't have the courage to do it. In a flash, the man took her chin into his firm grip and hissed very coldly to her and his voice was no louder than a whisper.  
  
"You dare to mock Lord- no, to mock me, with this unworthy, filthy and foul mouth of yours…? You will--" The man never got to finish his sentence, when Seymour was already staring right at him, just inches behind Yuna.

This certain Inquisitor was never a brave man, and this tall half-Guado´s gaze, _his eyes,_ were so frightening that even an courageous man would have fled right from that spot.  
  
But this man didn´t flee. He was petrified from fear. _"Care to finish that sentence?"_ Seymour asked, without any threatening tone in his voice. But more preferably in the _"Care to have another nice cup of tea, Mr. Evil-Little-Minion?"_ tone of voice.

The soldier blinked, switched his gaze to Yuna, then back to Seymour, and blinked again. Like he did not believe his luck! His plans were just to have some fun chasing after some Mudblood woman, not to bumb into a party of a weird Picasso-hair and his weirder companions. Nope, this won't do. Won't do at all.  
  
"What- You-You are not- you are not part of the Inquisition Squad! Just who exactly are you?!" The man yelped, and backed away from the Golden Trio.

"That's maester Seymour, smart-ass." Karis drawled, and looked back to Yuna, who stared at the two men with wide-eyes. "Yeeesh, _heroes_, if you could have come a little later, you would have missed rather fine show! But, thank you anyway…" Yuna, after her fear and panic had worn off, now addressed the men with a sarcastic tone, what she clearly didn't learn by herself. "_Hmm-- That man, Karis, has quite an influence on her, I presume.." _After Seymour had pondered this little thought in his head, he mentally shrugged it off, and turned his lilac gaze to the now stuttering, previously so brave, noble and just slightly mad soldier.  
  
Allowing a tiny smile play in his lips once again, Seymour just simply stated the soldier once, for the last time.

_ "Say, that outfit is quite nice, what you are wearing…"_

__

* * *

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A/N: Yay! Another chapter so soon! Heh, except it is quite short. Sorry! More to come soon!

I was just so happy from all the lovely reviews that I had to figure out how to continue this plot--and fast. But fear not, I shall write again soon. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe.  
  
Hmm…People did connect that Mudblood-thing automatically to Harry Potter, as I expected them to do. I have to admit, I WAS reading Harry Potter fics for few weeks, and what else could be used to describe dirty, mixed heritage and the shame what comes with it? Actually, it is not so uncommon even in my own country to use such a foul description about ethnic groups. (shudder) Not pleasant, not happy, (sigh) but when life is? (shrugs.)

Oh well…I hope I didn't get too carried away in this chappy, the usage of such twisted "humour" for example…and I just had to add that Picasso-thingy too, although there wasn't this great artist in Spira, BUT I COULDNT HELP IT!! God forgive me and my childish "humour".

This chapter is the result of extreme boredom! It didn´t move the plot whatsoever, but it was quite fun to write... ; )

Disclaimer: I am simply too lazy to put these to every chapter, so go to my previous chapters to see this so ever-famous line. And if you still steal MY story's plot, MY original characters in MY own fan fiction, which is based on story, which is not MINE, after reading this, you are more than in trouble, mate! (Eeeeeevil glare.)

Yep, I'm feelin´ nasty tonight… = )

Stay tuned for the next atrocious chapter! Yay!


	7. Shelter for the night

****

The Day I Died.  
  
_Chapter 7. Shelter for the night._

Seymour was quite a sight with his new, borrowed, uniform. Standing at the grand height of 187 centimetres, with his dark robes flowing in the wind, and his broad shoulders and masked face, made him look _exactly like_ one good, strong Inquisitor. For once, Yuna was happy to have him as her companion, knowing that Seymour was more than able to defend her from the menace of those soldiers, who seemed posses a thirst for her blood.

The sky was velvety blue, and the deep, surrounding darkness crept silently over Luca and the Dream Team. Just in the outskirts of the city, Yuna stopped her walk, and lifted her head to look at the serene sky, where the first stars already made their appearance, and casted their bright shine to Yuna as to bless her coming journey.   
"My Lady? What is the matter?" Seymour asked, and his brows were furrowed with worry. Indeed an act, which he rarely committed.

"Oh? It's nothing, I just had this weirdest of feelings, that our journey would be far longer than we would expect. Call it a "bad feeling", if you wish." Yuna shrugged, and lifted her eyes to meet Seymour's lilac ones.  
"I…see." Seymour stated with the blankest of voices he could utter. He almost startled from the sight of her beautiful eyes, _and her look_, it was so…pretty, so to speak. Seymour knew, that Yuna was not like the other summoners, so very unlike other women, and this made him to choose her as his "pillar of strength", _his_ Lady Summoner, so that he could become her Final Aeon.  
Even before his sending, he had created some kind of feelings for her, and it certainly was not supposed to be part of his plan…it made him weak. And it shall not happen now, at the brink of his plan's succeeding. This was his second chance to attain power.  
  
__

_She would not mess it up._

"And honestly…you don't need to call me "Lady". I'm just me! I'm just Yuna." She added a second later, and for the first time she had this genuine smile in her lips. And her eyes…they didn't show any kind of hatred or repulsion for Seymour, quite the contrary, actually. _They were filled with friendliness and joy.   
_  
"_For Yevon, my mother and everything else which are holy to me…make her stop!  
I can't stand her face… which is really beautiful, in fact. …Arrgh!"_ And his firm thoughts of his future glory just went down the mental sewer of his mind as Yuna continued to smile her heart-warming and emotionally melting smile.  
  
"O-Oh. _Oh…_If you want me to…call you by your real name, then that is more than fine." Seymour nodded once as he spoke, to cover his face, which seemed to _glow_ with the lack of confidence. It was almost impossible to others from ten-mile radius not to notice his storming feelings. Well, at least Seymour thought it was highly possible…and he dreaded to show his true emotions.  
"Seymour?…you are _stuttering._ Are you sure you aren't coming down to something?" Yuna asked with worry, and in the instant Seymour's head jolted back to glare her petite figure.  
"What? No? _No!_ It is highly doubtful." Seymour answered with slightly more harshness in his tone than he intended. Naturally, leaving Yuna only to lift her brows at him.   
  
"Well…if you say so."   
  
"I do." Came the quick reply, and the whole party fell to an uncomfortable silence soon later. So, the rest of their journey to meet this "Lord" was strolled in silence.

Not so long after Seymour's heart twisting and mind confusing experience with this petite woman, night was more than ready to rumble over their heads in the serene sky. And not so slowly, darkness consumed the three moving figures. It was time to seek for shelter for the night.  
  
"I think it is time to go to bed, don't ye think so too?" Karis, known as well as The-rather-short-and-annoying-man, blurted with enthusiasm as they continued their un-spoken pact of silence as they strolled past the plains. "And I personally don't care what you think. We have to continue our journey to Bevelle, where you said this Lord of yours resided." Seymour stated, not pausing to see the other two, which had ceased the tiresome walk already.  
  
"I think that Karis is right, Seymour. We really should find an Inn for the night. Besides, we could get lost in this highway at this hour." Yuna spoke more kindly, as if to continue the man's thoughts, and Seymour stopped on his tracks and turned to look at her. ""To get lost"? Don't you think that it's kind of difficult for us to get lost, when the road goes only…hmm…let's see…_forward?"_ Seymour lifted his brows sceptically and smiled slightly at her. _"This was starting_ _to get amusing…"_ Seymour thought and watched as she impatiently shifted her weight from one foot to another. "As much as I enjoy your endless and snappy sarcasm, Seymour, I really would like to rest my tired legs, you see." Yuna sighed, and literally rolled her eyes at him.  
  
That was indeed an act, what had not been seen before!  
  
"As you wish, my fair Lady." Seymour smirked and bowed, voice seeping with sarcasm. "Seymour! I thought I told you not to use me as your target for your clever remarks. I am tired, and I wish to go to bed sometime in this century." Although her words were lecturing, she had a small smile playing in her lips again.  
  
Seymour chuckled and nodded approvingly.

So they began their stroll to the nearest Inn, which was located near the Mushroom Rocks. Not very long after, they reached the Inn, which was near the place…  
  
_"-Where Yuna and I met for the first time."_ Seymour smiled slightly remembering their first encounter with each other. Completely clueless of this, Yuna and Karis walked in to the Inn, and finding himself alone, Seymour quickly followed them to the small house.  
  
"I'm sorry, lady, but it looks like that there aren't three rooms vacant at this time. However, it looks that two of our rooms are not occupied, so if you can be so kind, you can always share these two rooms." The Innkeeper remarked politely, as Yuna asked for free rooms. The three of them shared a meaningful glance.

"So…someone have to share his own room…." Karis drawled.  
  
"…With someone else?" Yuna finished his sentence.  
  
"Which would prove rather difficult…." Yuna continued…  
  
"…As there is a woman in the party."…Seymour helped.

As Karis was standing in the other side of the room, Yuna tugged Seymour's sleeve slightly. As Seymour turned to face her, Yuna was blushing with a slight embarrassment.   
"Seymour….? I really don't want to share my room with _him_…he is a bit weird." Yuna whispered and turned to look at Karis who was happily observing a small butterfly in the window, clearly oblivious of their conversation.   
  
"I know…Yuna." Seymour murmured, and his hand crept to her shoulder to give a slight, reassuring squeeze.  
  
Yuna startled, and turned to the Innkeeper, who was patiently waiting for their reply.

"Lady? We have made our decision. We shall take these rooms." She smiled brightly, and turned to face the two men."Everyone…I am going to share my room with Seymour. Karis can have a room of his own." Yuna said, and a faint blush crept in to her cheeks again.  
  
"You are going to sleep…" Karis said slowly, not believing his ears.  
  
"…with me?" Seymour finished, dumbfounded.

"Yes." One word, and it was more than enough to make Seymour's heart to beat faster. Preventing hyperventilating and the stuttering, which would take over his speech again, he just nodded and found it incredibly difficult to move to the door of his room.Yuna walked to front of the door, and gestured Seymour to come as well.   
  
Yuna did not need to ask twice.

Karis´ brows furrowed deeply. "So, there really is going on something between those two, just like I guessed. …_This could get interesting."_ And with this thought, he stormed to his own room and slammed the door firmly.

An awkward silence fell in Seymour and Yuna´s room, in the second Seymour shut the door. Not sure what to do, Seymour simply stood in the doorstep, giving a quick glance around their small room. There was a simple table, and a chair in front of it, and a bed in the corner.

_A small bed.  
_  
The bed, being the essential tool for sleeping, was big enough to let them both lay in it, and small enough to prevent the two of them to keep their own space. In Seymour's eyes, the bed gradually began to shrink smaller enough to let the girl sleep in it alone.

"I am so tired, that I could just crash into the bed and sleep happily like a Shoopuff…Aren't you tired too?" Yuna´s simple question brought Seymour back in to the reality, and he managed to look at her just in time to witness her yawn. And stretch. _"And starting to remove her clothes?!"_ Seymour stared at her with wide eyes.   
  
"What are you doing?" Came a small, trembling question. Yuna gave him an odd look, and continued to remove her belt, _obi,_ and a second later it fell to the floor with all the grace what a yellow obi can produce. "Well, it would be convenient not to sleep with all your garments, isn't it? And speaking of clothes, why are you still fully dressed?" She asked, and Seymour noticed how _attractive _she looked with a faint blush on her cheeks.  
  
But her shy flush was nothing compared to Seymour's colourful face, as the idea of sleeping with her finally dawned on him.

"I…err…I-I can nap in the chair. Yes! It is very convenient place to regain one's strength!" Seymour quickly found an excuse that he thought to be splendid. "You mean that small wooden chair, which is looking ready to fall apart in any moment under your weight?" Yuna asked and glanced at him sceptically.

"Well, I…Ahh…I can sleep in the floor!" He answered, and just Yuna was about to cut in, Seymour managed to mumble another excuse, which he thought to be _absolutely fantastic!_ Well, at least in his present mental state it WAS an absolutely fantastic idea…  
"N-No, never mind about that! I don't need to sleep at all! Yes, that's right! Ahh…I'm in perfect condition right now. Yes, I really, _really_ am." He was starting to feel a little hysteric, and the reason for his given state was now standing right in front of him!  
  
"I understand that you feel awkward, embarrassed even, to sleep next to me…but you must understand. I did not want to sleep with Karis. He has started to give me…" Yuna started to speak with an apologising tone, and Seymour soon got the idea.  
  
"…odd looks?" He finished her sentence, and Yuna nodded.  
  
"However, your behaviour is actually quite ridiculous. You seem to avoid sleeping at all cost!  
I know that I am not the most dashing woman out there, but for Yevon´s sake, this is getting…weird. A week ago you were ready to marry me, now it is difficult enough for you to stay long in the same room with me!" Yuna was glaring daggers at him, and Seymour realized _why _she was ready bounce off the walls.   
  
Seymour had questioned her _womanly appearance_, so to speak.  
  
However, Seymour was a man, and men _can_ be quite daft on that subject sometimes.

"Now, take off your robes and come to sleep. I do not want you to catch a cold when you sleep in that cold, stony floor." The tone of her voice did not leave any chance for protest, so Seymour gave up with his futile attempts to save himself from embarrassment. He lowered his hood, and he had to stop for a moment to control his fierce heart from pounding so fast. Seymour was almost sure that Yuna was able to _hear_ his heart's loud beating.  
  
Now he opened the buckle of his black robes. Very slowly, with trembling hands, he started to remove his undershirt, and in the same time, Yuna was also taking off her white shirt, and her black boots.   
Seymour's new robes and his shirt were now a mere heap on the floor, and he started to remove his boots. In the same time, Yuna was standing next to him wearing nothing more than her black top and her white panties. This had been a difficult decision for her. She decided to remove her skirt, although she resented the idea of sleeping next to a man who had tried to _kill her_ no less than a week ago. But, sleeping with your long skirt on had been a silly idea from the start.   
  
And the High Summoner Yuna would not allow him to think herself as a daft and silly little woman! So, in the end, it all came down to matter of pride and honour.

A small voice in the back of Seymour's head commanded him to take off his trousers as well.  
  
His shaking hands now got lost to the buckle of his trousers.  
  
But realizing that his black trousers were the only thing that prevented him to NOT to go wild with the following _freedom,_ Seymour was wise enough to not get carried too away…but as he lifted his eyes to Yuna´s slender body, every thought he may have had in his head was now flushed off, leaving room in his head for _complete bliss._  
Forgetting the ability to speak, Seymour simply had a dreamy look on his face, as Yuna´s cheeks were now changing with every shade of red as possible.  
As she lifted her eyes off from his quite muscular chest, which was covered with beautiful tattoos, she could do nothing but gasp.  
  
"What happened to your hair?" Yuna asked with eyes wide open.  
Seymour's tall, pointy locks of cerulean blue hair had been cut off, and the rest was now combed carefully backwards, to his neck. The rest of his hair was normal, slightly long, blue hair was covering his ears and his hair ran down the neck as usually.  
After successfully regaining the control of his mouth, Seymour had to answer.  
  
"I decided to cut those things off, because they didn't allow me to hide under a hood.  
And… they were annoying." He simply stated and remembering his lack of clothing, quickly disappeared under the covers of their bed. Sighing, Yuna soon went to bed as well.

After a long moment of silence, Seymour turned to his left side only to meet Yuna´s back. "Yuna, I think that…oh?" Seymour soon concluded that she was deeply asleep already, judging by her deep and steady breathing. He carefully observed her fair and flawless skin, and her lovely scent of lavender slowly consumed his mind only leaving the need to protect this beautiful woman.

A thought popped into his mind. This was his first time to sleep in a same bed with a woman. Not once did he have any nightly visitors in his chambers; It was not a matter of being lonely or different, but he never had learned to trust anyone enough to enjoy their…_kindness.  
_  
And the image of _Her_ in her revealing underwear was not easily to getting rid of. The chocolate waves of her hair, her creamy white skin, the curve of her hips, everything of this was enough to drive him mad.  
  
She was right there, right in front of him, and yet…he could not touch her.  
  
It would have ruined everything.

Suddenly, Yuna turned herself to other side, and in the end, Seymour founded himself staring right into her closed eyes. He was so close to her, that he could almost feel her steady breathing against his face.  
  
This only strengthened his thoughts and his burning need to touch her felt almost crushing.

Yuna, completely oblivious from all of this, did not feel his hot breath fasten, as he got closer to her. And she was completely unaware of his hand in her lower back to captivate her into his embrace. Seymour suddenly backed off from her a little, as he felt the pressure in his groin growing too much to take, and he had to do everything not to cry out his desire for her.

He had not expected _this._ How can she affect him like this? He had to control his emotions…_but only how?_ Seymour could not create any kind of feelings for her, it would make only the work to achieve his goal harder and the pain for losing her in the end would be too great.  
  
__

__

_"Ignore the girl._

_If she gets in your way, hurt her if you have to. _

_....The plans are going fine._ _"_

The familiar voice, heard so may times before, spoke to him again.

* * *

A/N: Ahh, the suspense….

Thank you all, who have bothered to read my fic! I can't say how happy you have made me with your lovely reviews!  
  
And Big Thanks To:   
  
**_Unchained Rain._** I love ye, gal. And where's that coming fic of yours?  
  
**_Lucrecia LeVrai._** Heeeey! Did you get the e-mail I sent to you? If you have anything to ask, you know where to write. ; )  
  
**_Silver Whirl._** Wow. So you actually fancy my fic, huh? ; )  
  
**_Yami no Eyes._** I really like your fics, y´know? Keep up the good work!  
  
**_Skippy Chick._** Thanks for your praising review. hugs you back  
  
**_The Dragon Sorceress._** Heyyy! Thank you. Keep reading, it's bound to get …interesting.

Stay tuned for the next chapter of suspense! Wheee!

Disclaimer: Go to see this in the earlier chappies, will ya? 


	8. The collision between His dream and Her ...

The Day I Died.

_Chapter 8. The collision between His dream and Her wishes._

Seymour had not slept well, to be more precise, he had not slept at all during the night. He watched as Yuna slept, watching, as her chest rose in the same rhythm as his. Her face seemed so serene, and her smooth skin felt so warm against his.  
  
Seymour had many thoughts running wildly inside his head.  
  
He had been always so alone, and he knew that he would also be alone for the rest of his life. _"Which is just fine. Perfect."_ He thought bitterly, and his mind was once again filled with the same hunger than before; his thirst for power, the need to control, was consuming his mind once again. If he was to live his life alone, why not live it in glory and supremacy?   
  
_"But then again…Yuna seemed so happy, as nothing could ever harm her. Could she…Could_ _she teach me to live like that?"_ Seymour stroked her cheek gently, and furrowed his brows in thought._ "Could she accept me as for what I am?"_   
If someone, just someone, would accept him, would care for him, he would not need to live alone. He would be content.   
  
"But power makes You content! If you were to rule, they would remember you then when you are gone…who needs _Her_ anyway? " The same cold voice whispered inside his head, and Seymour had heard that voice countless of times before. It spoke to him for the first time, as he had killed his father to gain power over the Guado, and it spoke to him the moments before he met Yuna and her guardians inside Sin.   
  
But what of the High Summoner? Seymour had noticed how her gaze lingered on him longer than it was necessary, her eyes spoke of warm feelings toward him as he met her eyes, and what was worse, he didn't even seem to mind it! A part of him wanted her to trust him and to share his feelings with her. The other part of Seymour wanted to bang his head hard against the sturdy stone wall, to punish him for such thoughts. He could not be weak. He simply could not afford to be weak.  
  
_"Oh? And look where it lead you! Face it; you've lost it once already. Is it vice to challenge your fate for the second time? You have been just granted for a second shot in your_ _life. Use the opportunity well."_ He thought and looked at her rosy lips. Oh, what he would do to kiss them…  
  
_"See? She understands you, I think. It is all right to feel for someone…not everyone will_ _deceive and hurt you. Go on…try it."_ A voice, persistently growing louder, whispered to his mind's ear.   
  
"No." Another, so very strong, cold and merciless voice claimed.   
  
_"No?"_ The previous voice asked.  
  
" That woman should not get involved. _You _know what happens if she does. Caring for others are for weak. You are not weak." The cold voice replied to the other part of Seymour's conscience, and it seemed that the humane side gradually lost the battle of the wills. Needless to say, Seymour was quite confused by his own thoughts.  
  
Never was known what kind of battles people fought against their own thoughts at eight in the morning in their beds….

"It's quite the shame…" A voice spoke to him.  
  
Seymour was so deep in his thoughts, that he didn't notice Yuna, who had opened her eyes and was now staring right in to his eyes.  
  
"…I kind of liked your hair, you wouldn't have to cut it." Yuna continued with a faint smile playing on her lips. "Oh? Good morning to you too." Seymour whispered with an identical smile, and got up to sit. "I guess we have to go…are you ready?" He asked her, and Yuna didn't notice certain sadness in his tone. She nodded, and got up to dress herself.  
  
"Hey, what do you think we should do after we have met that man in Bevelle?" Yuna asked abruptly, and Seymour turned to look at her as he put on his shirt.  
"I think…I think that we could figure out something…I mean, it is quite hard for me to go back to Guadosalam, given…the recent events." Seymour answered, but the voice inside his mind kept whispering to him completely different words.  
__

_"Yes, figure out something indeed. I'll go and get the power back to my control, and the_ _Inquisitors may imprison you or kill you. What do I care?"_ Seymour thought grimly, and didn't notice how Yuna walked slowly to him, until she was close enough to touch him.  
  
She took his hand into her own, gave it a gentle squeeze, as she spoke again.  
  
"I have to thank you, again. You have helped me to find my lost friend, and you do not seem to be even furious with me…for what happened inside Sin at that night…you are a good friend, and I was a fool to think otherwise." Yuna smiled at him, and let go of his hand.  
  
"W-What? You are serious about this?" Seymour could only gape at her sincerity.  
  
"Well…Sin is not anymore, the cycle has ceased, and people seem relatively happy. You don't have to "save" anyone anymore, because they are not unhappy anymore, so I forgive you.  
…Although that "Lord" has been creating havoc and this _useless _hatred among the people…we should do something about it." Yuna said, and furrowed her brows in thought.  
  
"Hey, Yuna, do you do this often? Forgive your mortal enemy?" Seymour asked in confusion, and with a slight tone of amusement.  
"Why, only if your former mortal enemy has saved you twice from an pressing trouble, and you have shared your bed with him." Yuna answered, and a wide smile brightened her face in an instant.  
  
"Oh, I see…" Seymour smiled at her, but he was frozen inside.   
  
He would have to continue along the plan, but it was increasingly difficult to do it as her smile lightened his dark world, but Seymour knew, that he would have to let go of her in the end. And it would hurt.

Loud banging on the door brought him back to the real world. He opened the door, just after he had managed to dress himself fully. Two tall men dressed in black cloaks and red belts were standing just before him.  
The other Inquisitor forced himself to the room past Seymour, and Yuna gasped from surprise and fear for the soldier.  
"The time has come. We are to take you in custody. The Lord insists it." The other soldier, who was facing Seymour, spoke with such authority, that even Seymour, who was a former Maester, had difficulties to object.  
  
"Seymour…what is that man talking about?" Yuna asked worriedly, and glanced the other soldier, who was now grabbing tightly her right arm. "What are you doing? Let go of me!" Yuna almost shrieked in panic, as the man started to drag her toward the door.   
"There's no need for such roughness. We shall come quietly." Seymour stated, and ignored Yuna´s question.  
"Good. For you know what happens, if you don't." The Inquisitor stated with low voice, which was full of threats.  
The soldiers started leading them out of the Inn. In front of the house was waiting two carriages, pulled by many chocobos…and just next to the entrance stood Karis looking very smug.

Yuna was silent; she could not believe this was happening. Seymour, as always, was calm and composed, as if nothing could harm neither of them. Karis had a sickening little smile glued to his lips, and Yuna was ready to shake like a leaf.  
  
One of the soldiers came to them carrying iron shackles. At the sight of this, Seymour switched his weight from foot to foot nervously. "Why those?" He asked, and nodded to the shackles.  
"Oh, don't you worry about these. These are for_ her_." The Inquisitor stated, and Yuna glanced him in horror. "Why me? Am I the_ only one_ who will be treated like a prisoner?!" She was starting to get a bad feeling about the whole situation. Very swiftly one of the Inquisitors grabbed her wrists, and captured them with heavy iron shackles.  
  
The soldiers remain quiet as they dragged her to the carriage violently, although Yuna didn't put up a fight, they still treated her like she was an oversized rag doll.   
"Wait! Don't take her away, let her stay with me!" Seymour pleaded, and the soldiers stopped on their tracks, and glanced at the half-Guado man suspiciously.  
  
Yuna took her chance, and rushed back to Seymour.   
  
As she seemed to be relatively alone in this pressing situation, except for Seymour, who seemed to be the only one to be her side, she did something, what she never thought of doing before.  
  
She ran to him, so close that she could hear his heart beat rapidly.  
  
"Hold me." Was the only sentence she whispered against his chest.  
  
Seymour had wanted to hear these words, and he didn't want anything bad happen to her. He wanted her to be safe. He wanted her to be…with him.  
  
This was now a collision between His dream, and his wishes. No, _Her_ wishes.  
  
Seymour wrapped his arms around her with hesitation. He breathed in her lovely scent, and pressed her gently closer to his own body. "It will be alright. We will see each other very soon, do you understand?" Seymour's voice was shaky for the first time in years, because he knew that the words were the most utmost false. And for the firs time, he felt…_bad,_ when he lied to her.  
  
Seymour lifted her chin, and as he knew that this would happen sooner or later, he still felt so empty, as he saw her face.  
  
Yuna´s cheeks were stained with silvery tears, and her eyes were so pleading and frightened, that Seymour felt like going insane for the thought for what would happen to her. He wanted to, needed to, confess his thoughts for her. In that way, she would know more; to not to be afraid of the coming pain. As his…last favour for her.  
  
Most likely Seymour would not see Yuna after this.  
  
This was his last moment to speak to her, and he opened his mouth to whisper those forbidden words to her. Yuna looked into his eyes, but their contact was violently broken, when a soldier tore them apart from each other's embrace.  
  
"Seymour!" Yuna cried as the Inquisitors pushed her inside the carriage, and slammed the door tightly shut, and Seymour felt like dying. He had just written her death-sentence.  
  
"Maester Seymour? This way, Sir. Your carriage is waiting." The same Inquisitor now addressed him with voice much more polite than he was speaking to Yuna.   
  
Seymour turned to face him and without a word he rose in to his carriage.  
  
_"This is it. There's no turning back after this. You knew you couldn't have them both, so the girl had to be used. Again.  
You should be happy now. You are going to have everything. She was only a minor restrainer_ _for your goal, after all."_ The familiar voice whispered to him, but somehow, Seymour didn't feel any better from it.

In the same time, a pressuring silence was upon in the cabin, where Yuna was forced to sit. To her dismay, Karis came to the same cabin soon after she was stuffed there like an unneeded, pathetic plaything.  
  
"Aaah, finally alone._ Delightful_." Karis drawled, and went to sit to the seat, which was directly opposite from Yuna´s. As the cabin was very small, Yuna glanced at Karis´ knees, which were brushing against hers repeatedly, as the carriage continued it's rocky way to Bevelle. Karis noticed this, but did nothing.  
  
He only lifted his gaze to meet hers, and a smug smirk crept to his face.  
  
"So it was you after all, who sold us out…I was a fool for not trusting Seymour's words about you. I should have known better." Yuna stated bitterly, frowning with frustration. Karis´ smile grew wider, and he leaned closer to her.   
  
"I wouldn't worry about that, _dear_… where was I? Oh, yes. It is such a_ pity_, that you didn't sleep with me that other night…we could have had some fun!" He smiled a smirk, which sends shivers down Yuna´s back.  
  
"…What is going to happen to me and Seymour?" Yuna asked, keeping her cool voice steady, although it was difficult…and being alone in a small cabin with a sick-minded man didn't help the matter much.  
  
"Oh, Seymour will be just okay, although I don't understand why should you be worried about that cross-breed. He and the Lord had a little…_agreement_, so to speak.  
  
But I couldn't say the same thing about you, because I simply don't know why He wanted you to His presence." Karis said with carefree tone, and Yuna felt her lungs struggle for fresh air.  
  
"…Agreement?" Yuna gasped and glanced at Karis, who had a mocking and meaningful smirk on his lips.  
  
"He wouldn't…_He couldn't_…not now! After all this…" She felt tears burning behind her closed lids, and she bit hard her lower lip to restrain her needs to scream out her misery.  
  
"You are so _naïve_! Well, that's just something what makes you more tempting, I suppose…" Karis continued, not caring about Yuna´s obvious discomfort.  
  
_**"I don't believe you!**_ You're lying…!" She suddenly yelled, and Karis startled from his feverish stare. He met a pair of eyes, beautiful in their anger.  
  
His smirk only widened, as he cocked his head to the side.  
  
"Did you really think, that he would have suddenly just turn _good?_ That he would just throw all his obsessions to the wind for YOU? Oh yes…" He continued as he saw Yuna´s terrified face, "…I know everything about him, and his insane plans to "save" Spira by destroying it. And Lord knows this too." He drawled, and looked at Yuna with interest.  
  
"The only question is now left…what will happen to you?" He asked, although it was clear by his carefree tone of voice, that he cared less for the summoner´s well being.  
  
_"How could I have been so stupid? I should have known about this sooner. No, the man is lying…I don't have any need to believe his lies. I'll ask Seymour himself about this later, when I see him.** If** I see him…"   
_

* * *

A/N: huh…went a little bit too fluffy, don't you think? Oh well…  
  
Oh, people have been asking about Seymour's height. So, 187 cm is about 6 ft and 1.5 inches…I forgot this, as we Europeans use metres and centimetres.  
  
Don't forget to review, my mental health depends on those reviews! ; )  
  
Disclaimer: go see earlier chappies…


	9. The diamonds of brightest of colours

The Day I Died.

_Chapter 9. Diamonds of brightest of colours._

It was all so confusing.  
  
Yuna was a person, who believed in second chance, she believed that everyone had goodness in their hearts, no matter how corrupted one´ s thoughts would be.  
And because of this, Yuna just simply could not believe Karis´ words about Seymour's treachery.   
Had he not saved her many times from trouble during their journey? Had he not shared his thoughts, his smile, with her?

And if Seymour would leave her now, lie to her, she would be utterly alone.

_"No, Seymour would not betray me."_ With this thought, she glanced at Karis, who was deep asleep, therefore not noticing her faint smile, as memories of Seymour flooded in to her thoughts. __

_"My gosh…what is happening to me? After he had admitted that he had murdered his father, I_ _never, ever, thought that I could actually look upon Seymour as a…friend, not as an_ _enemy._  
_If there would not have been that incident with Sin and his father, I could have fallen for…for what? For him? Seymour? That is out of the question…but did he not save me from trouble before? Yes, he did. Had he been ever unkind to me? No, he did not. We were just in the wrong sides of the battle. Oh, what in heaven Tidus would say, if he would found out how I_ thought _of Seymour_. _Gosh, **what would everyone say?**"_ Yuna was partly amused, partly terrified about the idea. And so, her dreams drifted off, to the fluffy dreamland of Yuna´s psyche.

After a long moment of silence between Yuna and Karis, the carriage came to a sudden stop. In bewilderment, Yuna peeked from the tiny window, and saw the soldiers getting off from the carriage. Not soon after, the door was opened and a soldier clothed in black was staring at her impatiently.  
  
"Wake that sleeping beauty. The Lord requires your presence." The man blurted harshly, and Karis startled immediately from his slumber.  
"Oh, so we have arrived. Good. This little doll began to bore me, after all." He sneered, and the soldier chuckled.   
  
The Inquisitor removed the shackles of Yuna´s wrists, and observed the girl with distaste.  
  
"I trust that your journey was quite…eventful, then?" The soldier drawled and Yuna glanced him coldly.  
"…Extremely. Now, can I go outside from this cabin, or must I be forced to listen more of_** his**_ tedious babbling?" Yuna spoke to the soldier, and could not hide her delight as she saw Karis, whose face was now scarlet red from fury and embarrassment.   
  
"Certainly." The soldier replied, and got out of the doorway to allow her descend the stairs.  
She did so, and Karis soon followed her.   
  
"Watch your tongue, _**Summoner**_." he hissed to her ear, and Yuna turned to look at him.  
"Not in a million years,_** traitor**_." she replied, and the tone of her voice was cold as ice.   
Instead of bouncing off the walls, he just chuckled and smiled again his all-knowing smile-- and Yuna was already thinking the idea of slapping the arrogance out of him.  
But, for her dismay, her opportunity to assault him was close to nothing as the soldiers started to escort them to the mansion where all the Grand Maesters had been living in the time of their rule.  
  
As Yuna began walking towards the beautiful building, she caught a glimpse of Seymour, who was standing near his carriage. He noticed her presence, and opened his mouth to say something to her.   
But as if to coming to other thoughts, he closed his mouth, and shifted his lilac gaze to the ground.

Yuna did not understand.

Why didn't he want to speak to her? She furrowed her brows, but couldn't say anything as the soldier was now shoving her forward from behind. So she continued her walk towards the dragon´ s lair, and hoped that the fear dwelling inside of her would not overcome her.  
  
Knowing, that Seymour was right behind him, Yuna felt a little safer in this hostile place.  
  
As they walked forward, Yuna could do nothing but to stare in awe at this mansion, where Spira´s new Lord was living in. Everywhere were beautiful statues of summoners and maesters, the floors were the finest black marble and rows of marble pillars greeted them. The house didn't seem to be fitted for a normal everyday life, but it seemed to be more of a _museum._ Or a _palace_. But certainly not a normal house, where a normal family would have lived in.  
  
As they walked past the rows of pillars, the sound of their footsteps echoed in the huge hall. Seymour, Yuna and the Inquisitors walked inside a slightly smaller room than before trough a sturdy looking, heavy, dark wooden doors, and the soldiers who were escorting them now vanished behind the door from where they came from. Seymour and Yuna now stood in a beautifully decorated room, and Yuna spotted a figure in front of a huge, and ridiculously tall, window.

"We are here." Was the only thing what Seymour stated, and stared at the standing figure with an expression, what Yuna could not read.  
"Ah. Such a smooth, oily voice. _A politician's voice."_ The figure, a man, drawled with a similar, educated and noble voice than his. The man turned to look at them.  
"Seymour." He stated, as if to point out the half-Guado´s name, like it was not a name at all. Perhaps a new style of furniture. Perhaps a name of a newest sphere-movie.

_Not a person's name._

"Serian." The same half-Guado stated with a same cool, ascertain voice than his, and nodded to his direction. "I trust, that your journey was comfortable?" The man asked with a cool courtesy, and walked closer to greet the two summoners.  
  
The man was exactly the same height than Seymour; he had silky, smooth, raven-black hair, which was combed backwards with care. His lilac, bluish eyes were strikingly penetrating, and his noble appearance was nothing of hideous. No, far from it.  
His straight nose, his full lips and pale, flawless skin made him look somewhat of _a male-model_ than a politician. Although his face was not so wide than Seymour's, Serian´s appearance resembled his.  
Even his body was not of a politician, what would have been slender for the lacking of physical power, but instead it was highly muscular, and tall. _Very tall._  
  
The man was clothed in a black cape, very similar to the Inquisitors, and a wide, scarlet-red belt was keeping the cape fixed firmly to his waist, but his chest was left bare, and beneath his navel was to be seen black tattoos, which seemed to describe fire of some sort.  
  
Remember Seymour's wedding wardrobe? That white belt of his, which had a long piece of narrow cloth running vertically to the ground? Serian´s belt was highly similar, although it did not have the markings of Yevon in it. Instead, it had other decorations in it, the same kinds what Seymour's green belt, obi, had.  
  
Serian´s dark outfit, red belt, black gloves and black, knee-high boots made him look more of an soldier, than a scrubby, mummified politician.

Suddenly Yuna startled, and jerked to Seymour's sleeve in horror.

"Seymour- h- he's the man from my nightmares!" Yuna whispered in a very loud voice, and she stared at the man with wide, terrified, eyes.  
  
"What?" Seymour asked in confusion, and Serian chuckled without mirth in his voice. He waved his hand as if to brush the matter aside, and gazed the Lady Summoner in mild interest, like a person would watch a butterfly, in fascination, what was landed in the back of one's hand.   
  
"Oh, _that_…well, I believe you would had to see something like that in time…I'll tell you everything. But not now. Later. Oh, please forgive my bluntness. I have not yet introduced myself to this charming lady. I am Serian Honoré, son of Commodus Honoré, the head of the prestigious Honoré Family. I believe…" He walked closer to Yuna. "-That we have more important matters to attend to." He smiled at her with politeness. "I trust that you are high Summoner Yuna, the Daughter of Braska, yes?" Serian asked, and Yuna nodded once."Splendid. Let me…take a look at you." Serian came even closer to her, and Yuna glanced at Seymour, wanting to hear words of comfort, but there came none.  
  
Serian took a slack grip of Yuna´s chin, and eyed her with mild interest, like she was some kind of a pet to be measured. He looked straight to her eyes, and a familiar burning feeling in her soul presented itself once again.  
  
Suddenly, Serian pulled his hand back, like it was on fire. The corner of his mouth was twitching, and he glared her like she was something what a chocobo would throw up. "You-- You are…you are a Mudblood! _Your eyes_…A Crossbreed! Karis!! Why did you not tell me about this _atrocity?"_ The other man, who had been lying in a sofa near a fireplace, far from them, now stood up and strolled closer.  
  
Yuna could sense Seymour's hands closing to fists and opening again in suppressed anger. She too, had enough from the prejudices already. She did not need more of that childish behaviour, at least not from a man, who seemed to be the exactly same age than Seymour. "_Men of his age_ _should know how to behave properly…"_ Yuna thought grimly, and observed Karis, who was now standing beside Serian Honoré.  
  
Karis shrugged, and gave a drawling answer. "I dunno.".  
  
"What do you mean, "I dunno"?! What kind of a spy do you think you are? Hmph. Go tell the maids to put the guest rooms ready. _I´ll deal with you later."_ Serian ordered with a stony face and voice colder than ice, and if there would be Hell in Spira, the devil should be now skating there, so blood freezing his voice now was.  
  
Karis, once again, seemed to have lost his arrogance, and was now rushing out of the door like there would be no tomorrow.

"Now, where were we? Oh, yes. I did not counted on such an foul idea, that the High Summoner would be a Mudblood-- that she would have _Al-Bhed_ blood in her veins, but I think I can make an exception, this time." Serian seemed to talk himself over something, and Yuna had to bite her lip and stop herself from shouting something foul at him. Instead, she only lifted her chin ever so slightly, and eyed the tall man with the utmost distaste. "I cannot imagine, how _amusing_ it is for you to mock my ancestry, but could you most kindly explain why we are here?" She asked with the most false politeness she could muster, and Serian turned to look at her with amused expression on his delicate and noble face.  
  
"What? Seymour didn't tell you? I somehow imagined so…oh, well. It does not matter. I tell the reason why you are here at tomorrow noon, when your work begins." Serian answered in cool tone. "Trust me, when I say that our friend Karis told me some…_interesting_ things about you and your journey here. _Very interesting things indeed."_ Serian continued, and a small smile crept to his lips.  
  
Yuna started to have shivers from that man, who implied something horrible with a hint of malice in his voice. Seymour crept silently closer to Yuna, and brushed his hand against her own for encouragement.  
  
This small gesture, invisible to Serian, was enough to give her strength.

"If you are a politician, why is it possible that I haven't heard anything about you? You are a complete stranger, who has kidnapped me. And that's it." Yuna questioned calmly.   
  
Serian turned his cold, lilac eyes to her own.  
  
"I have been…busy. That is the reason why I have been in darkness from Spira´s masses. But now, when Yevon is at the verge of collapse, The Faction has been granted the _honour _to decide the people's faith and their political stability. You see…Now that everyone knows about the true face of Yevon, _thanks to us_, I have created an political void, big enough for me to be the leader of the mindless masses. _Yes._ And by deleting the corrupted blood of Mudbloods, blood traitors and other races, I am purifying Spira.  
When there is nothing to be afraid, people can be finally content.  
Even destroying Sin, You can not achieve it." Serian spoke with some sort of frenzy.  
  
"Hmm…"deleting" and "purifying" are such a…classy,_ fine_ words for something, for what I know as "murdering" and "getting rid of". You are not a politician. _You are a murderer."_ Yuna said in disdain and glared at the man.  
  
For a nanosecond, something _glowed_ in Serian´s eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched again, and a second later, he hit Yuna_ hard_ by the back of his right hand.   
  
Her head jerked to the side, she couldn't help it. Yuna didn't even realize that her feet had betrayed her, and she fell to the floor from the sheer force of Serian´s blow.

"What are you doing? _Just what the hell are you doing?!_ She's the High Summoner, for Yevon´s sake! Don't you dare to hit her again like that, _ever!"_ Seymour hissed, and rushed to Yuna´s aid.  
  
"…I'm afraid, that you have no power over _**me**_, _Maester."_ Serian said with a mocking tone, and Seymour glared at him. "What do you mean?" Seymour asked, and didn't remove his gaze from the Lord.  
  
But Serian just smiled, and continued his rambling. "You should have not let that _pet _of yours speak so freely to me. _You_ know what happens, if someone opposes me." He spoke with carefree tone, as if nothing could bring him down.   
  
Seymour didn't say anything. Instead, he only touched Yuna´s cheek gently.  
  
Serian noticed this. "The summoner is capable of walking by herself. An Inquisitor is to escort her to her room. You have your own rooms, which you can exit to go to the lavatories, whenever you need to go. After all, you are not our _prisoners. _…However, access to other parts of the mansion other than the guest's quarters, are forbidden of you. The Inquisitors make sure that the restrictions are to be followed." Serian instructed with a playful smile in his lips, and waved his hands as a signal for the Inquisitor to escort, partially drag half-unconscious Yuna to her sleeping quarters.  
  
"You may leave now." Was all what Serian Honoré said, and in a moment, an Inquisitor had crept behind Seymour to escort him to his own room.

Yuna, the High Summoner, was thrown to her new bed by two strong arms, and she was so confused and dizzy that she didn't thought_ **why**_ Seymour didn't say anything to the man. She didn't thought _**why**_ the man did not accuse Seymour for being cross-breed. She didn't thought _**why**_ Seymour felt like knowing the man from before.   
  
She had not thought of anything like that. And now, a searing, throbbing pain consumed her mind, as she tried to wake from the blow. She carefully got to sit in the edge of her huge bed, and put her head between her knees ever so slowly. That man sure did know how it would hurt the most…  
  
After the dizziness was disappeared, Yuna decided to walk few steps to the nearest mirror. She sat in front of the vanity table, and gasped as she saw her reflection on the mirror. Her whole left cheek was burning red, and the place, where Serian´s knuckles had met her skin, was white. Pale as death…  
  
She simply sat there, not knowing what to do. She could always try to escape. But Seymour was there too, and it would be difficult to escape, as she had no aeons with her, she was powerless. Yuna wasn't sure, was Seymour like her, too? If he were, it would be completely foolish to try escaping without any guarantee of safety.  
  
She would be killed, naturally, if they would find about her escape.  
  
And so, Yuna fell to apathy, just staring at the grim reflection before her. An unknown, sad and desperate young woman stared back at her with tired eyes.

Suddenly, a knock on the door startled her, and she lifted her gaze to the doorknob, which now turned down, and the door opened with a small squeak. Yuna got up from her chair with such speed, she did not know she had possessed earlier. She eyed the door warily, which was now open, and a petite woman stepped inside.  
  
The woman was beautiful, with her long, chocolate brown hair, her big blue eyes, delicate lips and her oval shaped face was almost a copy of Yuna´s. they both stood there a while, while eyeing each other in astonishment. The woman wore a pretty dress, which was blue as sky, leaving her arms and shoulders bare. She carried silver jewels in her neck, and she had an impression of a wealthy Lady. The woman got closer to her, and she blinked few times, and Yuna realized, that they had barely any difference in height, weight, body structure or even in their faces. The Lady only seemed older than Yuna, she was perhaps in the mid of her twenties.  
  
"You were the one they brought in here earlier? Are you Lady Yuna, the High Summoner?" The woman asked in reserve politeness, and eyed Yuna curiously. She nodded, and the woman gasped. She bowed to her, and looked at Yuna directly to the eyes. "Please forgive my bluntness! I am Laetitia. Laetitia Honoré. You do not know how pleased I am to see you!" She smiled voice filled with kindness, but soon her face saddened as she saw Yuna´s face.   
  
"W-What happened? Did_ He_….?" Laetitia gasped again as she saw Yuna´s hand-marked face, and Yuna gazed at her in wonder. "Honoré? Are you married to….?" She asked, and Laetitia gave a small nod.  
  
"Yes. He is my husband. I came to warn you, Lady Summoner…No, it would be better, if I started from the very beginning…please, M´Lady, hear me carefully.  
My husband, Serian, is a fierce man. Especially to those, who he sees as a threat, a threat from a cross-breed. I once supported him in this.  
  
_After our son…passed away._   
  
He died in the hands of a Guado. Now, my beloved husband seeks revenge. Like I should do too…he says that it is the right thing to do. But I, now, at the moment of my weakness, I have begun to hesitate. I know, that if you would not have been a Summoner, you would be dead by now.  
  
It is only your destiny that saved you from your doom.   
  
And I must plead for you to _run_. Run far away from here, this nest of evil thoughts as this palace have come. You are not guilty. You are _innocent_." Laetitia said all this with a voice, which was the sorrow itself. "Laetitia…why are you telling me all this?" Yuna asked in a quiet voice, and looked at the sad woman in front of her.

" I have been hidden away, living in fear, for those long years I still hold dearest of my life…and I can not escape by claiming that I was innocent, by that I did not know.I did. That is the reason why I am here.  
  
_My husband…I love him more than anything else left for me in this shadow of a world. But he will soon plunge this world into darkness, blinded, by his own arrogance and absolute devotion. His devotion to his dream, to me, to our son.   
_  
I cannot shed even a single tear for my husband, anymore. _I have no tears left to cry. _But because I know, that his quest for retribution will bring him his untimely death,   
I have also come here to plead for his soul.  
  
There were so many times I prayed for them to take my life, _my soul_, in order to save his. To save my son's. _Yevon_…did not hear me. My husband does not deserve, what he is going to endure.  
_He has suffered enough."   
_  
Laetitia spoke with broken voice, her voice and hands shaking, as she continued her life's story. A whole human life, compressed to few lines of words, with the strength this woman did not find from within her anymore.  
  
"…The day, when Sion, _our son,_ was murdered, a part of my husband's soul died. He has been like a ghost ever since… _And ghosts are looking for a place to die_." She took a shaky breath, and silvery tears made finally their way to her eyes.  
  
"I know that you do not understand me now, you may even think of me foolish, as I weep for my husband…but you may understand soon. Take these." Laetitia handled her a small, dark-blue pouch of satin. Yuna opened the pouch and small spheres rolled to her hand, all with different colours. One was bright white, two others were crimson in colours, two black, and one, the most brightest and most tempting of them all, was deep of purple.  
  
Not even half of the size of a normal sphere, these were like diamonds.  
  
_Diamonds of brightest of colours._

"They are all, each and everyone, pieces of his family history. The recreated thoughts, no, _memories_, of his lost past and present. See the brightest of them? It is the newest memory of them all… I believe that I am correct, if I say that it was recorded only few days ago…it will aid you in your thirst of knowledge.   
I do not know why he keeps them; they are only to rip open the wounds that took so long to heal… Every different colour resembles his feelings, his long buried emotions.   
  
His joy, his pain, his wishes are all there.

Serian does not know I took these; hide them well. If he knows you have seen them, he will end your life." Laetitia continued, with whispers to Yuna, and took a small picture off from the vanity table, and touched its silver framework in deep thoughts, as if to remember the long lost day of her life, when that picture was taken. "Did you have a friend with you, no? How are you going to escape with him?" She asked, and Yuna lifted her head to her direction, and a smile was to be seen, once again, in her lovely lips.  
  
"My friend? Seymour? Why, of course! Have you heard any news of him?" She asked in enthusiasm.  
  
Laetitia´s body froze.   
  
"Seymour? The son of Maester Jyscal Guado?" She asked in shrill, broken voice, and her hands were now shaking.  
  
"Yes, the very same." Came the quick reply, and suddenly the picture what Laetitia was holding, dropped to the floor with a sharp noise of shattering glass.  
  
"I--I must leave you now. Lady Yuna,_ stay safe_." And with these words, she left her.

Hours went by. In the dawn of the night, a knock on the door was the only thing what awaked Yuna from her journey of Serian Honoré´s sorrowful, and in the end, dismal past. Silent tears dropped from her cheeks, forming waterfalls of silver drops out of compassion, mercy, sorrow and hatred.  
She has seen more than she would have ever imagined, and only one more sphere was to be watched, the sphere of purple…but a knock to the door, more demanding this time, startled her. Yuna collected the spheres in haste, and hid the pouch inside her summoner´s robes.  
  
But she did not see as the small purple sphere, the brightest of them all, rolled under her large bed silently.

Yuna walked to the door, and opened it quietly. A tall figure was waiting at her to open the door, and Yuna´s face brightened immediately, as she saw who the man was.  
"Seymour." She simply said, smiling at him, but Seymour's face was dark, filled with uncertainty and worry. "Can I come in?" He asked, and Yuna opened the door more to let him come.  
  
In an instant, he was already inside and had closed the door firmly behind him.  
  
Yuna sat on the edge of her bed, but still smiled at him. Seymour's face darkened even more as he saw her red, slightly swollen cheek, and his eyes softened, as he saw her tears. He kneeled in front of her, and caressed her cheek gently. "What is this? Why have you shed tears?" He asked with shaky voice, his eyes full of compassion, and the smallest amount of _fear.  
_  
Yuna had forgotten to wipe her tears away, and refresh her face in the bathroom, but she had forgotten it completely, as she hid the spheres in haste.  
  
Her hand now rose to dry her tears, but Seymour's gentle hand stopped her.  
  
_"No…"_ He muttered, and gently lifted his finger to caress her beaten cheek, and down to her lips. He reached more closer, and Yuna could feel trough her closed eyes, as he planted an comforting kiss to both of her closed eyes, to dry away the remaining tears.  
He planted a longing kiss to her left cheek, to banish the last remaining tear of sorrow. And finally, he kissed her lips with such an e_motion_; he poured all of his longing, all of his love and all of his despair into her. And Yuna did not see, as a one, single silver tear escaped from the back of his eye.  
  
They sank to the floor, each in other's embrace, kneeled on the ground.  
  
But for Seymour's surprise, Yuna did not draw back from him, expression of the utmost disgust in her face…she kissed him back.  
  
It was now _He,_ who pulled off from the kiss. "What are you doing?" His trembling question was no louder than a shaky whisper, and he was completely helpless. If she continued this, he did not know what he might do.  
  
"I think…I think that…" Yuna whispered back with an equally same tone of shakiness in her voice.  
  
"Don't say it. You do not…_love me."_ In the last two, meaningful words, he whispered them with such painful emotion, what he had never know before, and was not allowed to him now.  
  
_"But I do…" She whispered to him, voice now more confident._  
  
_ "I do love you."   
_

* * *

A/N:_Ahh. Drama. Who can live without it?……I can't._   
  
The suspense is getting more pressing…revelations are to be made…  
  
But are _YOU_ up to the task? Are you able to review my story?

I write. You read and review. Hard? Nope. ; )

Sure, getting response such as "OMG!!!! Wazzup?? Yur fic rulz 4-eva!!!!!!!!11" is sure nice and heart warming, (but I can't guarantee, that I understand all of it ; ) ) but there are others, more constructive ways of giving feedback.  
  
Please, in order for this fic to evolve in to a better story, tell me what parts you liked in this chapter, and which parts you didn't. What you thought was good, what parts would need more work. Like that. And in the previous chappies too!  
  
PS. and no, Laetitia is not a ghost-clone of Lenne. _Nope,_ _it isn't._  
  
Disclaimer: Seymour, Yuna or the world of Spira is not mine. It belongs to Square-Enix. But I do own characters Serian Honoré, Laetitia Honoré, Commodus Honoré and Karis. The first three of my characters are borrowed from a novel I'm writing, which will be hopefully published someday. Maybe. Perhaps.   
  
_BUT!_ (ta-daah!) If you steal the plot of my fic, any quotes from it, or my original characters, you'll know where you are going. So, nyah! ; )  
  
_****_

_**WARNING.**_ _Do not read further, if you happen to fancy the main Hero in FF X._  
  
Thee be warneth!

**_Another Pathetic Use of Space_** _by: the Author. (tm.)_

I Hate you, you disgrace of a teenager!   
  
I Hate you, little Blond Boy!  
  
I Hate your cheery moods!   
  
I Hate your constant whining!

Have you already guessed who is it? Why yes, you were right. Why if it isn't (TA-DAAAH!)…._Tidus.  
_

I Hate You, Tidus!  
  
Ahh…the blond boy, who waves back at the teletubbies.  
  
The Wonder Boy who talks all the time, and has nothing to say.  
  
The Golden Hero, who certainly is not the brightest candle in the cake.   
  
See how much I simply…_hate him?_

_Okay, now the readers are either;_  
  
a) fallen to sleep by my childish rambling.  
  
b) are out to get my head on a platter for bashing their favourite _bishounen._

_Heheh…More on the latter, I suppose…_  
  
_I am sorry. I really am. It just that my school is about to start again soon, and I just had to, needed to, share my anger and frustration with the Golden Boy, which everyone seems to love. ; ) I promise to you that I shall not let my _obsession_ affect my writing.  
_  
Tidus-fan 1.: Ack. The nerves of that author!  
  
Tidus-fan 2.: Let's go get her!   
  
Tidus-fan 1.: Yea!!  
  
The poor, poor Author: Nooooo! Have mercy on my soul! Ngyah…not in the face! NOT IN THE FACE!!

Heh. More to come, I suppose… ; )


	10. The broken worlds within

  
The Day I Died.

_  
Chapter 10. The broken worlds within.  
_

Time passed in the great hall, where Serian Honoré, the present Lord, now was alone.

He watched as the last rays of daylight disappeared from sight and the huge, beautifully decorated room now fell gradually more deeper into darkness. He sat down, exactly beneath a painting of his noble Lady, His mistress, and many heavy thoughts dwelled inside of him, only waiting a liberating release.

Serian snorted at his moods. He soon realized, how the darkening room perfectly resembled his mental state. _So Seymour, the Half-Breed, is plotting something?_

Serian knew very well, what that freak was after..._what he wanted._

Serian had no idea, that Seymour was able to come back from the Farplane, and frankly, he could not care less. The only believable fact was that Seymour was after _His_ place as a ruler for Spira. There could be no other explanations for his return from the dead. _Seymour Guado, the ex-Maester without power was like a fish out of water._

Serian Honoré smiled at this mental image, but soon his features darkened.

..._what he wanted. _

Serian was not a foolish man. No, far from it. He saw as Seymour tried to comfort Yuna, the little witch, when Serian punished her, and he heard what his spy, Karis, whispered to his ear about Seymour and the Summoner.

Oh yes, he could count one plus one. But he was surprised, nevertheless.

_How on Spira that Mudblood was able to think of her like that? _Once again, Serian snorted and gave a dark glance to the fading flames in the enormous fireplace. If Seymour wanted to overthrow him, a love affair would complicate his efforts to gain power once more...and Serian, like Seymour, was able to create cunning plots.

Only he, Serian Honoré, the son of his great father, was to rule.

Anyone to oppose him were to disappear, naturally. _That would teach that Half- Guado his lesson. _Serian and his Lady would reign together, forever! This burning feeling inside of him grew stronger, as he thought about his mistress, Laetitia. There would be nothing he would not do for Her. He and She would stand together, guiding their people...and not one Mudblood would be in that utopia to annoy them. And so, with the complete destruction of those clay-figures, who were bearing only the appearance of people, His son´s sacrifice would be redeemed.

His endless love for his dead son and for his wife, who he adored more than anyone or anything else, guided Serian towards this utopia. _And maybe, when enough people had died, maybe even Serian would attain his own salvation.  
_

* * *

Yuna sat in her bed still, long after Seymour had left, and this unfamiliar, empty feeling in her heart overcame her as she observed the darkness outside of her window.

Seymour had to leave, naturally. It would not have looked good, if someone would find them together in the morning, the former Maester, and a cross-breed Summoner.

But now, after everything they had encountered, Yuna was confident enough to admit one thing. _She loved her former enemy. _It all happened so sudden, like a lightning from the clear blue sky, and not one living creature could explain how or why it had happened.

She didn´t even notice as warm tears poured down from her face to her arms, which were resting on her lap. The young woman was confused, when no-one told her what to do, or whom to trust. No one...but what of her friends? _Where were Lulu, Wakka, Rikku and the others? _The answer dawned on her, but immediately her brows creased slightly. Would they believe her? Of course! She had her colourful spheres, and they were more than enough to convince them. If she could just convince Laetitia to meet her friends and give the spheres to them as a proof of her sincerity.

Her face brightened, and she crept to the door. After a moment´s of fumbling with the lock, she stepped silently out of her decorated prison like a cat, and headed straight to the direction where she thought the Master and Mistress would spent their free-time.

* * *

Yuna was not the only one who could not sleep at that night. For Seymour, sleeping had been always something to avoid, until you could not escape your dreams any longer. But he felt more awake now than ever before-- he stood in front of his window and observed in silence, as the first drops of rain hit against the cold glass.

_The cold glass...his heart was like that. At least, it should have been like that. But...it wasn´t, not anymore._

It would be so much easier to let his fate carry him, not to care about anything or _anyone_ else. He had hardened his heart, because if he was vulnerable, other people would hurt him. _They always did._

But just like those tiny raindrops hit the glass, something was trying to reach his cold heart, and Seymour was now tore in two. Would he seek his fate from power and live alone for the rest of his life, or would he dare to reveal something from his heart to her in such way, that she would survive?

Not knowing what to do, he pressed his head to the cold glass, and shut his eyes.

A knock on the door startled him from his trance, and he walked to the door.

Excepting the stranger to be Serian, Seymour made his poker face, took a deep breath, and opened the door. But for his surprise, there wasn´t Lord, or a man of any kind.

Only a slightly pale woman. She stared at him with wide eyes, and muttered something so quietly, that Seymour had to bend down a little to hear her. "Can I come in?" were the only words Seymour could hear, and he moved away from the doorway to let her in. As the woman seemed to be in distress, he decided to find out what was troubling her.

She closed the door behind her carefully, and eyed him with expression Seymour had never seen before. He had completely forgotten his poker-face, and he stared at the woman with wide lilac eyes. The woman could have been Yuna´s sister!

She brushed her chocolate brown strands of hair away from her blue eyes, and her small lips were pressed into thin line. After a moment of silence, she finally decided to speak. "So it´s true...You are Jyscal Guado´s _son." _The woman stated, with blank voice, and face completely expressionless.

Seymour only nodded, and let his eyes rest on Laetitia´s image. She slowly walked closer to him, and her eyes possessed the most unfamiliar flames dancing restlessly.

Laetitia spoke once again. "So, tell me..."

A small pause, as she took a step closer to him, never breaking their eye-contact.

"...do you get some kind of pleasure ..."

Another step. The woman was now right in front of him, and Seymour found himself mesmerized by her stare, which was full of fierce emotion, but Seymour didn´t know why this woman acted like she knew him. Frankly, he had never seen her before, and this woman´s appearance was quite familiar, yet so strange.

Seymour could feel her hot, fastened breath, as she was now standing very close of him. After a small pause, the woman continued.

"...of taking other people´s lives?"

Seymour blinked, and he was able to feel the cold steel of her dagger, which was coincidentally pressed to his throat. He let out a small, frightened gasp and he stared right in front him, as Laetitia was much shorter than he was. "...Don´t think I wouldn´t do it. If you move an inch, these walls will experience a whole new concept of "decoration with colours". I know you are still alive...and I also know that you are not so very keen of dying for the second time." Her tone was harsh, and full of frenzied passion, as she spoke. But as Seymour looked in to her eyes, he saw something more. He saw _justified rage. _

He merely nodded, and in deep depths of his heart, he could feel a new feeling, the immense fear of losing his own life. And for the first time of his life, he did not want to die. Ignorant of Seymour´s feelings, the woman continued. "You and your kin know nothing of my and my husband´s misery...but still it was your father, who decided to rip our happiness to pieces....Not to mention _our_**_ son." _**Her voice started to lose it´s firmness, and the hand which was clenching the silver dagger like one´s life, was starting to tremble.

"I knew nothing of it." Was all that Seymour could say, as crippling fear started to paralyse him.

"Don´t you _dare_ to lie to me! No...You knew everything. You were his son, after all...._like a father, like a son." _She hissed these blaming words close to his ear, but soon her voice faltered.

_**"My **son never had the chance to reach his seventh year of age... _what did my son do to your father to anger him so? And when he was asked of this, do you know what your father answered?"__

Her lips lifted in to one small, tired and ironic smile, as she readied to answer to her own question.

"..._For because what he was."_With this, he sealed my son´s fate." Laetitia´s voice faltered, but her eyes were burning with hate for Jyscal and his half- breed offspring, and deep, endless love for her dead son.

Only one, lonely tear escaped from the corner of her eye, and Seymour could feel as small drip of crimson blood started to run down his throat. Laetitia gathered her previously firm tone once more, and the flames of hatred in her eyes were replaced with coldness of the desire to kill. And only one, brief look to her eyes told Seymour everything, when this same craving once possessed him, too. Seymour knew that this woman was to end his life.

"A-After all....After all, what a mother would not do for her child? And with this retribution, my son will finally find peace.

..._And for because for what you are, your life is to end, too. "  
_

* * *

Yuna ran. Every now and then, she hid herself from the restless eyes of guards, and her feet seemed to have a will of their own. Despite her fear of getting caught, she refused to go back to her room and play that everything would be okay, and she would be okay, too. But she knew better that that.

She had felt Serian´s hate for cross-breeds. No, it was not just hate. This frightening feeling she had encountered in her nightmares had turned to be more than hate long ago. It was beyond hatred...Yuna could feel that it was personal for him in some twisted way. And when the sun would set tomorrow, she would not be certainly okay, anymore.

She continued to ran to the Lord´s sleeping quarters and prayed that Serian was asleep.

In her feeble wish, Yuna hoped that she could talk to Laetitia about her friends. It was obvious that even Laetitia could not smuggle her and Seymour out of this dreadful place, but the wife of the Lord could reach Lulu and the others, and tell them everything.

Sensing that the entrance to Serian´s and Laetitia´s sleeping quarters was near, Yuna reduced her running to cautious sneaking. It was obvious, that the Inquisitors were confident enough to put their faith in the fact, than no one could be able to infiltrate the palace, so there were hardly any guards so close to their Lord.

Yuna stopped on her tracks, as she saw a heavy, wooden door. It had been decorated with such skill, that there were no doubt who slept behind this door.

She decided to try her luck with the doorknob, and she couldn´t believe how masterfully the important door was kept _unlocked._

She silently crept to the room, but she hardly saw anything in the darkness.

The only thing she could see in the suffocating darkness was a big, royal bed in the center of the large room. Yuna closed the door behind her so quietly she was able to, and headed straight to the bed.

"_Looking for something?"_ A cold voice echoed in the marble room, just behind her.

Her blood froze, as she realized that the bed, where Serian and Laetitia were supposed to be sleeping, was now empty.

Sphere-lights in the ceiling were now turned on, and she slowly turned, knowing who was standing behind her. "The guard who was doing his hourly check-up in your room found the bed you were sleeping empty." Man´s voice was disguised with false unconcern, but Yuna could hear the animosity in his voice seeping through the façade.

"And do you have any idea what that guard found?" Serian´s voice gave up on it´s efforts of ease, and his voice was now cold and demanding. Yuna couldn´d answer.

She was paralysed from fear, and she just stared at this tall man with eyes wide open.

"HE FOUND _THIS." _Was all that Serian hissed, and he showed her the small purple sphere in his hand. "Did you see it?" He now whispered, and his face was pale from anger or fear, Yuna could not tell from which one.

But she did know that a wrong answer would put her life in danger, so she was able to whisper only a small "no".

"Do not lie to your master! If you saw this sphere, you must have seen the others." He whispered back with dangerously low voice, and he clenched her upper arms tightly, and shoved her against the wall. "Where are the rest of the spheres?" Serian whispered in to her ear, and the hotness of his breath made Yuna shiver from fear and repulsion.

"I-- I don´t know. I haven´t seen them." She answered with submissive voice, and tried not look away from Serian´s cold lilac eyes.

Faster than a blink of an eye, his hand was on her throat.

"I told you already. _No lies." _His harsh voice woke her from her paralyse of fear and of lack of air, and Serian loosened his grip from her throat a little, to prevent her blacking-out.

"When that guard came to wake me up, I found out that Laetitia was not sleeping. I don´t know where she is..._you_ look so much like her. So..." His voice was deceivingly low and silky. Yuna expected Serian´s eyes to be full of murderous rage, but she saw something different. _Something far more different._

Serian was so close to her, that Yuna was almost able to _feel _as his lips brushed against hers as he spoke. His hands got more lower, and now rested on her hips. "I have arranged something for you tomorrow...I hope you like it. _I know you do. _I know what you want to ask..."what will happen to me after tomorrow?" Well...who am I to predict the future? You _are_ a traitor of blood, after all. But then again...who knows? But don´t forget, that the Lord can be quite forgiving in some affairs, _if you know what I mean..." _ Serian smirked, and his confident tone made Yuna want to run away immediately, but naturally, that was out of the question.

A knock on the door interrupted Serian, and he glanced at the door. Soon after, an Inquisitor strolled in, and he took off his mask to honour his master.

"My Lord...We have found the Mistress."

* * *

A/N: I am so very, deeply sorry to make you all wait! My school has just started, so I have been very busy...Aw, hell with it. I wasn´t busy, not really. I was so devilishly Lazy. And still am.; ) So, in the future, I predict that you are going to wait a "little" while to have updates in this fic.

I hope you like my fic. I really do. Cause I don´t.

I have started to hate for what this fic has become, as half of my fine ideas has not been used, and I would have loved to make those earlier chappies MUCH better and longer. Guess I´ll re-write them then...Hey, don´t forget to review! My mental health depends on those reviews..

Question: Do you hate Tidus?

Hate him like I do? Hahahahahahaaaaa!! Ahem...okay. Heheh...

I see that my mental stability is already started to crumble. Ah...reviews...reeeviewsss..

More to come! (and put me to your author alert list!)

Toodles!


	11. My inner demons

_  
The Day I Died._

_  
Chapter 11. My inner demons._

"_My Lord, we have found the mistress."_

Serian turned to look at the soldier, who now restlessly shifted his weight from one foot to another while waiting new orders.

"Then...where is she?" Serian´s smooth voice echoed in the marble room, and small chills ran trough Yuna, as she realized how easily that man was able to change his moods. A moment ago he was ready to strangle her, and now...he had taken his role, his mask, back on.

"She's with the former -maester, my Lord." The Inquisitor stated, but startled as he saw Serian´s expression. "My Lord...?" The man began, but Serian´s chillingly soft and ominous voice killed the voice from his throat.

"How is it possible for the Lady to gain access to that Guado´s locked, and heaven forbid, _guarded_, room? _Care to explain?" _Serian questioned, and the soldier had completely forgotten what he was supposed to say next, as Serian got closer to the man, and his mere presence shut him up.

Without spoken words, Serian left the room and the soldier commanded Yuna to follow him as well. Silently Yuna followed, her head drooping in sorrow, as she knew what would await her at the morning's dusk.

Deadly silence was almost touchable in Seymour's bedroom, as Serian and Yuna had barged in. Laetitia still had her dagger clenched in her petite hand, and her eyes darted from Seymour to Serian. Seymour seemed to be still alive, although his pale face told everything Yuna needed to know. Serian apparently thought the same way, as he walked to his wife, and gently took the dagger to his possession.

"You wouldn't need this, my love. _Not yet." _He whispered, and eyed the former Maester with such an expression Yuna had never seen before. Eyes, which told of untold truths, mixed with hatred and repulsion.

As his back was turned to Yuna, he did not see, as she fumbled the small pouch of spheres out of her hide with hurry. She slowly moved closer to Seymour, and slipped the bag to his hands behind her back. His eyes formed a question, and Yuna whispered ever so quietly to him. "Give them to my friends, you'll find them from the Besaid, I hope." Seymour nodded, but he couldn't say anything in respond, as Serian ordered his wife to leave, and she did so. He now turned to them, and eyed them with triumph.

"_Tomorrow shall be the day of great importance!_  
Never you shall see for what I have done, but inward I have grown; from the shame and the pain, for this world have become. But after tomorrow, it will not be a problem; the filth that have poisoned this earth will be swept away in a purifying rain of fire, and thus, Spira will be soon liberated!" Serian´s eyes held a superior and slightly fanatical glint, and Yuna could do nothing but gape.

""_Purifying rain"? "Liberated"?_ What are you...what do you mean?" She whispered, and he now smiled at something what he saw in his own little world.  
"_You'll see soon enough." _Serian whispered back, still smiling at something the others could not see.

"And now in the matters at hand...I trust you would like to hear my reason of keeping you here, _as my guest? "_ Serian questioned the girl, completely ignoring the half-Guado. Seeing her puzzled expression, Serian continued with glee.

"It all comes down to publicity. As you are the High- Summoner, who defeated the all-mighty Sin, you are quite popular among the people.

So, with you in our forces tomorrow, the people will see how masterfully I have solved the problem of...eh..._"purity of blood" _with your help.  
And since you **_are _**the daughter of High Summoner Braska, and you are a High Summoner as well, you would be such a helpful puppet to be shown to those mummified politicians in Bevelle. And did I mention how you will clear room for me among those scrubby old men?"  
He smiled his deceivingly charming smile, so very like of Yuna´s former enemy, and Yuna was dumfounded by the man's plans to overthrow that playhouse of a government, which was now the only stronghold for people's safety and freedom.

_And how deceivingly, so cunningly, it would work._

"So, it all comes down to the purity of blood, once again?" Seymour began with his educated, yet so cunningly icy voice, but Serian gave him a dark, warning glance, and continued.  
_"Blood is **everything! **You _of all people should know that by now." He hissed, and when Seymour was quiet once more, he continued-- this time his voice was softer, like something he had long awaited would soon to happen.

"Yuna, prepare yourself for the tomorrow. You will be escorted out of this palace by tomorrow morning, and I have ordered my men to take your Summoner´s staff along. You'll be needing it." He stated, but Yuna felt sick from the man's fanatical view of things.

"I won't do it." She said with stony face.

"_You won't do it? Are you sure?"_ Came the soft, velvety voice, and Serian was not surprised, not at all.

"Yes". Her flat reply rang in the dead-silent room.

"Yuna, don't---" Seymour began, but Serian´s low, even more gentler voice disrupted him.

"Fine then. If you want to play stubborn, then do it. But I promise you..._you won't be playing it for long. Tomorrow...you shall see._ Until then, I bid you good-bye. You should rest before tomorrow." The cold voice of Serian Honoré rang in the room still, even after he had disappeared trough the door.

Completely exhausted from the day's terror, Seymour let his body fell to the bed, and he now stared at the ceiling with his lilac eyes.

Yuna slowly came beside him, and now they both lie in the bed, both staring up, both thinking the same mental puzzles.

"_Why...why must this be so hard?" _He whispered, trying to soothe his inner demons, and Yuna looked at him in bewilderment.

"What is?" She asked, and Seymour blinked.

"...Nothing. The pouch...what's in it?" He asked, and Yuna gave him a faint smile.  
"Tomorrow...if something would happen to me, please...give them to my friends. That pouch carries evidence, of what has happened and why, that's all."

Silence swallowed them, but only for a moment.

"...Why did you kiss me?" Yuna whispered with weak voice, and Seymour looked at her. _  
"...Because I love you." _Came the only short answer."You do?"

  
"_I do."  
_

Silent tears made their way down to her face. "Don't."

"_Why?"  
  
_

"Because--- Because I know this can not end well." She sadly answered, and he stroke the tears away from her face ever so gently.

"Tomorrow morning will come soon. You need your rest..._I-- I'll leave." _He said with a voice that wasn't his. But before he could get up, Yuna took his hand into hers.

"Don't leave...stay with me.""_I...I will stay with you." _

"You will?"

  
"..._I will stay with you...forever."_

He had made a promise.

Yuna looked at him with teary eyes, but she was smiling, and Seymour never had more inner conflicts than now. He knew, that he couldn´t attain everything, the world just doesn´t work that way.

Even still, the cold part inside of him demanded his plans to be followed, and Seymour was confused. _"Power is everything," _he had once thought, but now...he wasn´t so sure anymore. It had been transformed to _"Blood is everything", _and Seymour wasn't sure if it was a good thing.

"_Do I love her?"_ Seymour thought, and the familiar feeling inside of him grew stronger, like it possessed a mind of it's own.

"_You don't love her. You only think you are, and she could NEVER fall in you. After all, who could love **a freak? **_

  
Shut up.

_ You know it's true.  
_

_  
_S- She could! She's kind and caring...

_  
Lies.  
_

N-No!

_ We both know it. What is the only thing makes you, no, **us, **happy? Say it._

Power...?

_ That's my boy. Tomorrow...you know what must be done._

(...You will become the temple for your aeon....)

_ Mother would have wanted it.  
  
_

(...I need you, Mother, no one else!...)

_ I know she would.  
  
_

_ That girl will hurt you. She will deceive you...And she will fall in love with all those _beautiful_ people!  
  
_

Be quiet! S--Shut up!!

_ She **will** laugh at your cries, she **will** haunt your mind and then, she **will** leave you...just like **She** did.  
_

(...Use me and defeat Sin...it is the only way the people will accept you...)

Mother, no! I only want you Mother, no one else!

_  
Wake up.  
_

Seymour opened his eyes. Once again, his darkest friend was himself...

The morning was already making its way to the world, and Seymour got up to sit.

He was utterly confused. He had never before tried to say something against his inner voice...it scared him. And where Yuna was? The bed was empty; she should have been there, sleeping. Where was she?

Seymour got up quickly, and scanned his room. Nothing.

He looked to the hallway. Still nothing.

Seymour grew restless, so he decided to go look for her in her room. He walked to her door, and knocked. No one opened the door. He pressed the doorknob, and the door opened, but the room was empty. He could still smell her fragrance; it lingered in the room like a weak flower in the autumn's violent winds.

Sun's rays made their way to the room through the window, and Seymour felt like being back in Zanarkand. Helpless and alone. No one here anymore.

As the panic lifted it's ugly head inside of him, he decided to go look for her.

The only reasonable place for her to be anymore, was somewhere in the palace. Maybe Serian wanted to talk to her?

Without a second thought, Seymour rushed out of the room, and headed to Serian´s chambers. He knocked to the door, and a moment later the door opened, and he was now staring right in to Serian´s lilac eyes. He ordered Seymour to come in, and Seymour did so. Serian looked the view outside the window, and his back was turned to him.

"I know why you are here." He whispered.

"I see my reflection in the window. It looks different, so different than what you see...I will project judgement on the world, the court will be soon in session, and I slam my gavel down!  
I'm judge and I'm jury and I'm the executioner too.  
And I... I have already decided the Summoner´s fate." Serian said with blank voice, and turned to look at the former Maester.

"Where is Yuna?" Seymour demanded, but Serian only smiled at him. But a moment later, he answered. "She's not here. The Inquisitors escorted her to Guadosalam, as planned." He said.

"Guadosalam? Why there?" Seymour wondered, and Serian only continued his smile.

"You'll see." Came the short answer, and Serian continued.

"She should have not tried to say "no" to me. No one refuses anything from their Master. She'll pay the price now...and you-- You'll come with me too, and after today, you will have your place as the leader for the people, just like we agreed.  
Wouldn't you like that?" He said, and the smile still played in his lips, but the smile was ice, calculating and demanding. Far from true glee.

Seymour could also play this game.

"I do. But tell me...why she would go there? What is there to see?" he asked, and small sparkles of light lit on Serian´s eyes, and he answered.

"She is there to witness the birth of a new, more purer world. But why do you care of her? She is nothing! But if you are so concerned about her, then why don't you come with me to Guadosalam?" He said, and something flickered behind his lilac eyes.

"_I know exactly what you want. _

_You are after my place as a ruler, aren't you? Soon you'll see...the Master does not like to share his power. Foolish creature._

_You are to burn in the name of purity."  
_

* * *

_A/N: ah, another chappie of tension, I hope you liked it. The story will get darker soon, and the drama just can't seem to stop. : D_

_Thanks for your lovely reviews, and please do post more of them, as I am such a review-whore. Hahahaha! Ahem._

_No, really. It is wonderful that people seems to like this. I have been asked if I would write more Seymour& Yuna - thingies, but I must end this fic first.  
  
_

_Where the #&2 are you, Lucrecia LeVrai? You're not dead, are you? o.O  
_

_Sniff...one of the greatest fan-fiction writer has disappeared. If you see this author note, it means you must get back to work. I need your fics! XD_

_  
And big, BIG, humongous, enormous thank-yous to the following people: _

_**Unchained Rain; **Thank you for your support! Yay!_

_**Silver Whirl; **_One of my favourite reviewers: You rock. And that´s it. For now. XD

_**Yami no Eyes; **As always, your support is valuable, and did I mention how good writer you are?_

_**Soul Vagabond; **My newest and most enthusiastic reviewer. Remember to write more of your splendid reviews! VILLAINS UNITE!! Hahahaaa! Yay! XD_

_**Ickis Krumm; **The one GREAT reviewer, whose name I can´t ever write properly. Heheh...I want to hear from you even more, and Where is YOUR Seymour-ficcy? XD_

_**Stelmaria; **Welcome to the club! I´m glad that there´s someone else too, who is just so obsessed about Seymour as I am. ; )_

_**Lady-yuna-guado; **Hey! Glad you like my fics so much! Write them yourself, too! I´d LOVE to read them!_

_**The Dragon Sorceress; **Where are you? I haven´t heard about you in a while...You are still reading this fic, aren´t you? Aren´t you?! o.O_

_**Aurons/second/half; **_The same goes for you, too; where are you? I would like to hear from you.

_**SkippyChick; **Where art thou, dear reviewer? ; D_

_**Lucrecia LeVrai; **Man... Where. Are. You?! I love your fics, don´t you dare to leave me hanging on like this! ; )_

_  
Anyway, more to come soon._

_  
Disclaimer: go see the earlier chapters._


	12. The Sins of the Fathers

The Day I Died.

_Chapter 12. Sins of the fathers._

Seymour was utterly confused. Why Serian wanted to go to Guadosalam? There´s nothing for him... Oh, wait.

There was. The Guados. Seymour almost let out a half-amused snort, but he soon gained control of his temperance. He had almost forgotten his own ancestors, as they had never felt like his own family.

Not once did they act like a family for him.

Seymour scratched his jaw with his delicate fingers, as he dived even deeper into himself, into the dark depths of his memories, trying to reminisce.

He had no family. He was like a lovesick dog wandering at the feet of people who were strange to him, never really part of the herd, never really accepted. And strange those people were...but for them, Seymour was only something that Nature had floppily created using clay and human blood, and realizing Her errors, she simply threw that clay figure, that half-human, half-Guado aside..._Made of clay? _

_Even Serian had thought so._

He was only a shape that was trying so desperately to be something, but in the end, he was nothing. Only a simple clay figure resembling...human. He was only waiting them to accept him, as he was, which, of course never happened.

Well, the death of his Father changed everything.

_Now that I was a Maester, now I was respected, yes. If I hadn´t taken my Father´s life, like he had took my Mother´s so long ago, I would still be nothing but...a mere shadow of something greater. But yet, my Mother sacrificed Her **life **for my happiness. I was supposed to defeat Sin. Still, did I defeat it? No..._

Immense self-loathing.

..._But She did. Should I be grateful for her for that? **But Sin is gone now...**Why I am here? What am I supposed to do now...? Seymour furrowed his brows slightly, as he started to understand his own place in this grim, cold world._

..._I have nothing to live for, if my plans will not succeed...is there truly nothing else left for me in this world than a simple throne and bowing servants? There has to be something greater than that. If only...there was someone to help me...guide me. Could She understand?...Understand? She?_

Very soon Seymour´s face darkened. This familiar bitterness rose inside of him again, and he was more than comfortable like this. After experiencing the "glory" of being the only half-Guado in the world, he had accustomed to this grim companion of his. If no one had ever understood him in the past, what makes this time so special?

One small, sad and tired laughter escaped from his throat, and all he could do, was to stand-alone in the empty corridor and continue to dwell in his self-pity.

His melancholic reminiscing was however irritatingly interrupted, as a familiar figure came to a halt just before him.

Seymour lifted his gaze, and saw something he would have liked to avoid.

Lady Laetitia, Serian´s wife, was standing right in front of him, staring right into his eyes.

Seymour took one, cautious step backwards, as he remembered what kind of an obsession that woman had, and frankly, Seymour was quite keen on keeping his head attached to the rest of his body.

"Do not worry, son of Jyscal. I did not seek you out just to end your life, _Maester."_

She spoke to him with tired irony and lowered voice, and Seymour just lifted his brows. "O-Oh? That is _quite_ relieving to hear, my Lady." He nodded with false courtesy, and Laetitia furrowed her brows in restrained urge to smack that half-Guado right across that vein-filled face of his. For Seymour´s fortune, Laetitia had the most remarkable self-control.

"If that pleases you, half-Guado. I trust that Lady Yuna gave you a small satin pouch, did she not?" Laetitia questioned harshly, lacking all the politeness in her words what Seymour had always enjoyed in Yuna´s soft voice. Although he had always detested the term "half-Guado", he never let it show. This moment was no different.

"Why?" Came his soft reply.

"I know she did. If she knew what was ahead of her, she would give it to you. Now, hand it over to me." She calmly answered, and waited him to give the pouch back to her. "Fine. But you must tell me what you meant about Yuna. I demand it." His tone was now cool and commanding.

Laetitia smiled. "You should have already known, Maester _Seymour. _To put it quite simply, she will suffer the same fate what my son went trough. Trust me, when I say that you won´t be able to enjoy her genuine company for long. After her duties in Guadosalam are over, she will be executed. And it is a sight I rather would not witness...Seymour." She answered with blank, unfeeling voice, and Seymour was quite disturbed by her answer. He was prepared to this, however. Seymour knew, that someone would be sacrificed in order for him to gain hold of power once more, but why...he felt so bad about it?

"Lady Laetitia...Yuna´s home is located in Besaid, the last time I recalled...most probably, her friends are there too. Can you...Can you meet them and explain the events? Even though they despise and detest me and my likes, they should know.

I care for her...I would not like to see her get hurt." Seymour said quietly.

Laetitia lifted her blue eyes to meet his. "So...you_ are _able to care for somebody? That´s really touching, really. But I´m afraid that that alone won´t save your friend...but if you wish me to act as an intermediary to convey your apologies to her friends, so be it." She briskly said, checked the pouch´s contents, and disappeared behind the corner. Once again, Seymour was alone.

The carriages jogged slightly from the rocky road, as it got nearer to it´s destination.

Yuna looked through the window and saw only thick forest.

"We must be near Guadosalam, already..." She whispered, and prayed that Serian did not decide to throw her life away like a used and old toy after her work was done in that city.

"...Indeed we are." Uncaring, almost cold voice replied, and Yuna almost shuddered by it´s callous echo in the cabin, and she turned to look at Serian, who had observed her the whole journey through. Frankly, she had no idea why Serian insisted to be seated in the same carriage as she was.

"If you detest the likes of me so much, why did you decide to join my company?" Yuna asked quietly, and Serian smiled a small, amused smile.

"So that I won´t forget where the likes of _you _belongs. So that I will continue to remember how much superior _I _am, of course. You would be wise and not to forget your place, half-breed. " Serian answered calmly, and Yuna simply stared at him.

"And what that place of mine would be, your _grace?" _She asked dryly,

And Serian was silent for a long time, before he answered.

"That place would be in Farplane, woman. Death is the ultimate punishment for the sins of blood -traitors."

"O-Oh. I see. So, you are going to kill me too?" She asked tiredly, and Serian once again locked his burning gaze to hers.

"To kill you? Maybe. I haven´t decided yet-- maybe I´ll have some use of you." He said with unconcern, and Yuna felt like staring right into her executioner´s eyes.

""...have some use"? What do you mean?" She asked with wide eyes.

"Oh, aren´t you the unknowing type, yes? Just think about it-- one of the world´s famous summoner´s help at our disposal...And mine, as well." He quickly answered, and a small, mocking smile crept to his face.

"You wouldn´t dare!" Yuna hissed, but Serian only smiled.

"You must have already guessed it by now...the signs are quite obvious, after all. Seymour and I are related by blood. Although he is rather distant lineage to me, I am still ashamed to acknowledge him as part of my family heritage." He stated, and literally hissed the name of the former Maester. But his cold, lilac eyes held deeper flames of emotion than just pure hatred for the half-Guado. It was something more, something sinister and dark like never properly healed emotional scars.

"So, it is only fitting, that I should share my cousin´s bride in _my__bed, _as I have already shared his power over this country...such a sweet way to avenge my son´s unjust death, is it not?" And Serian Honoré simply...smiled.

"Seymour cares for you. I know that now. You must be the only person he cares about...and that makes my revenge so very _complete_." He whispered quietly, as to avoid breaking the lurid silence between them.

"I do not know what happened to your son, but avenging his death like _this _cannot be done! Using such vile ways to destroy Maester Seymour´s hopes makes you worse than him...my _Lord." _Yuna spat, and stared at the man with such disgust and hatred which aroused many buried emotions within him.

"I am ten times what _he_ is! By God, he will suffer...he is nothing but a murderer and he deserves to be punished!" He replied with venom, but Yuna soon interrupted him.

"_With all due respect, my Lord, **you are a murderer as well. "**She answered gravely, and Serian only stared at the boldness of that woman._

He was confused. Serian was not sure whether to smack her unconscious or kiss her.

Thinking about the latter made him scared. That woman looked like his wife. She sounded like her wife. The thought made him so scared, to seriously consider of the option of disinfect his tainted lips with a sharp knife, bottle of kerosene and with the aid of ever-helpful matchsticks.

Instead of doing this, he once again smiled. Not a joyous smile, no.

But a cracked, broken smile. A smile of a man who had lost everything.

"So...I´m a murderer too? I´m only doing what is right! I´m **_saving _**the people of Spira! _Don´t you see?" _He forgot to stop smiling, and his smile formed into a frightening grimace.

"I...have heard this somewhere before." Yuna whispered in horror and eyes wide open.

Seymour hurried to the carriage.

Serian had already left, and Seymour wanted to be relatively close to Yuna.

Seymour didn´t really know what he felt right now, was it compassion for her? Or was the fear of losing his only friend so strong that drives him to Guadosalam?

Because the soil of Guadosalam was the least of the grounds, where he ever wanted to step his foot on. His past was there...Tromell was there. With him, so was the memory of Jyscal, his father.

Seymour had no idea why Serian decided to visit Guadosalam, of all places, but he soon understood as he saw hundreds of soldiers marching to the same way Serian had left. Without saying anything, he climbed to the nearest carriage, and ordered the driver head for Guadosalam.

For his surprise, the driver did what he was asked to do, although the Inquisitors hated half-breeds with the utmost intensity. It was obvious, that the driver was demanded to wait for the former Maester.

_At the same time, in the distant isle of Besaid..._

Lulu had been quite worried about Yuna. She was almost like sister to her anyway, and Yuna had grown up with them, so Lulu had always immediately known if there was something amiss with her.

And the disappearance of Tidus did not make Yuna happier, anyway.

Nobody else had noticed, how Yuna had grew even more silent and introverted after his "death", and she hardly talked to anyone after Sin´s destruction.

Maybe it was simply her way to deal at her loss? Lulu wasn´t so sure about it, but what could she do? Yuna was somewhere far away in Kilika...speaking of Kilika; Lulu should pay a visit to her soon. Lulu miraculously smiled at this thought, and decided to go tell others about her plan.

Wakka and Rikku were at the beach. Wakka was desperately trying to teach Rikku a little bit of Blitzball, but the results were not really triumphant. Kimahri had gone back to Mount Gagazet, although Seymour had slain the rest of the Ronsos already. Except the Blitzball team. Oh, and that weapon salesman. And also that older Ronso and the child Ronso. But other than that, the entire Ronso race! Yep.

Well, life for our furry friend had gone a little bit lonely, but Lulu was sure that it fitted Kimahri quite well...

Lulu was walking to Wakka and Rikku, as she saw something white in the horizon.

As she looked more intensely, she realized that it was the sail of a boat, what was incidentally heading for Besaid´s dock.

Wakka and Rikku also came to see what has happened, and they walked closer to the pier, hoping to see the person who was coming to greet them.

There was no one else than a woman clothed in fine fabrics and pricey jewellery.

"Yuna...? No...you´re _not_." Was all what Wakka said, and the three of them just stared at this woman, who was almost an older version of Yuna.

"I´m glad that you have realized the difference. Are you Lady Yuna´s friends?" The woman asked politely, and Lulu nodded.

"That´s good. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Laetitia Honoré. Although I am fully aware of my and Lady Yuna´s similar appearance, I really can´t explain the reason for it to you, as I´m just as confused as you are...But she wanted me to meet you." Laetitia said calmly, and Rikku interrupted her.

"Is Yunie...all right?" The young Al-Bhed asked in worry, and Laetitia glanced at her.

"Very soon...I´m afraid she won´t be." She answered sadly.

"This is ridiculous! We all know that she is in Kilika, building her new home.

I don´t know why you came here Lady, but I assure you, that our Yuna is fit and healthy." Wakka stated in annoyance, and Laetitia calmly observed at the man.

"She was of days ago. But as you are quite informed, the Inquisitors have risen to the power, and they detest everything what is not pure human blood. And your friend does not possess this quality...they have taken her to Bevelle, where she now resides, against her own will, I´m afraid."

The whole party gasped from shock, and Laetitia continued.

"She wanted me to show something to you. If she would not survive...she wanted you to understand..." she said.

"Understand what?" Wakka asked in eagerness, and Laetitia glanced at him in mild annoyance.

"That there was something she knew about, and she also knew that it would be extremely difficult for you to understand her reasons...but she wants truly her friends to be with her in these dark times." She continued solemnly.

"Of course we will be with Yunie, always!" Rikku claimed eagerly.

After a long pause, Laetitia continued.

"Seymour Guado, the former Maester of Yevon, is back from the dead." she only said.

"O-Oh." Rikku gasped.

"Whaaat?" Wakka almost yelled.

"Really?" Lulu simply asked.

Laetitia nodded. "That dirty son of a Shoopuff...I should have known! Of course he´s trying to destroy everything, even beyond the grave, ya?" Wakka grimly said, and Rikku nodded in agreement.

"No. It goes deeper than that. Far more deeper...you see, I don´t think Seymour is going to destroy anything for a while. All of his powers, even his aeon is vanished...now he is nothing more than a simple mortal." Laetitia explained, and the party was even more confused.

"Then...why did he come back? What does he want?" Wakka asked, and the wife of the Lord simply shook her head.

"I doubt that he even wanted to come back...there is nothing for him in here anymore.

He has nothing...he is hated and alone. He has always been. What possibly would fascinate him so, to come back in to this cold shadow of a world?" Laetitia spoke quietly, and finally Lulu decided to speak.

"Listening your words gives me the impression, that you too, are not really fond of your life, am I right?" She asked solemnly, and Laetitia smiled tiredly.

"Indeed you are...Let´s go somewhere out of sun´s burning light, I´d like to sit down. The trip was quite tiresome, after all."

They all gathered in Lulu´s cottage, out of the sun´s brightness, and sipped freshly squeezed juice of Babu- fruit.

After a moment of complete silence, Laetitia decided to talk once more. She looked straight in Lulu´s crimson eyes, and shared her life´s story with them.

"The reason why my husband seeks revenge through the death of everyone else who are not classified as human beings is simple...our six-year old son, Sion, was executed by the grace of Lord Jyscal and by the mercy of Commodus Honoré...my husband´s own father."She said quietly.

"What?" Lulu asked in shock, and everyone else in the cottage had also their eyesight firmly fixed at this sad, petite woman.

"Lord Jyscal did not approve my son´s lineage...so, it was only necessary for him to dispose of the bad seed, if he wanted to maintain his position as a Maester of Yevon.

...And that bad seed...was my only son. _Commodus Honoré´s grandson_." One silent, lonely tear rolled down her cheek, but she ignored her display of weakness.

"But why...anyone would do that?" Rikku asked quietly, and a suffocating silence fell in the small room. "I do not have the heart to tell you from word to word what those people, those _Guados, _decided to utter to me and to my husband to justify their decision.

I will show it to you, instead." She pulled out the same pouch of spheres, and took one black sphere in to her hand.

In an instant, the three of them were pulled inside of the sphere.

It was a beautiful summer day. The sun was shining brightly, although the dark clouds in the distance implied a heavy rain to come soon.

But the atmosphere was not so serene as the sun was. In the verges of an open square, was a heated whispering warming that already hot summer air, as the audience was arguing about something important, but the sounds silenced immediately, as the Maesters of Yevon entered in their own private area, witnessing something what had not been done in centuries. In the main seats of the audience sat Maester Jyscal Guado, grand Maester Mika and unknown man, who had dark hair of a raven.

His face had somewhat dimmed by the impact of lived years in the forms of wrinkles in the corners of his eyes and deep lines in his forehead, but regardless of his age, his lilac eyes hold deep determination and remorseless. His noble face was stony, and a small twitching irritated the corner of his mouth.

A grave silence, ominous in it´s imminent outcome, had now spread throughout the stony amphitheatre. The theatre was not large in any means, it had only one use; to serve as a hall where judgement was condemned, and where it was to put in action, literally. The theatre was not for the eyes of the ordinary mob, but for the leaders and clergy of Yevon and the other leaders and representatives of the people.

The doors to the theatre´s stage was opened, and a tall, dark-haired man walked slowly to the centre of the stone floor, and a small, and visibly frightened boy was clutching to the man´s left sleeve in desperate attempt to be closer to his father.

The boy´s lilac eyes were frightened in fear as he was ripped out of his bed in the mid of the night, and the only familiar person he saw in this hall was his father and of course...his grandfather. _What was his name? _The boy tried to remember. He had seen his grandfather only once, in his fifth birthday, as his father showed him to that man. Oh yes. He remembered now.

_He remembered how that man glanced him with his penetrating eyes, turned around then, and laughed. Once._

This was not so uncommon; he had already experienced this before. But Father always said that he shouldn´t care about those kind of people, so he didn´t.

But after the doors had closed, he could hear them still scream at each other. The older man had said something about _"pure blood" _and somebody being _"a mistake". _The

boy was not sure what those words meant, he was such a small child anyway, but his Father did understand...but he never knew what his Father answered to him.

The wind continued to mess up the boy´s uniquely white hair, so he smoothed the small spikes of his hair in it´s proper place with his long fingers.

The boy thought in his mind that he was special, in some way. He sensed that many people did not like the shape and length of his arms and fingers, nor did they like his flamboyant, snow-white hair. Although he was rather small boy, he always picked up little tones of _"he does not belong here", "he is different" _or "_he is not one of us"._

But, as long as he had his Mother and Father, everything was all right...

Commodus Honoré decided to speak first. "You have been accused of mixing two ancient bloodlines. And the results of this treachery are for everyone to see today! The evidence is too strong for you to be innocent for such an atrocious crime. What is your answer to this accusation, soldier?" His voice was cold, colder than ice, and his eyes hold the flames of hatred, anger and repulsion.

"My lord...all I did was...to fall in love with someone! I did nothing wrong! My son is everything to me. And I do not agree on your view that mixed blood is cursed or it should be clean. Because it´s not! My lord...I am innocent. I did nothing wrong." Serian´s voice was weak from fear, weak from desperation and weak from tiredness.

"Is that´s so? Maybe your head will be cleared if this _abomination _is erased from the memory of Spira...yes, that is the only option for the likes of _him."_ Commodus´ voice now rose, and a sharp shard of fanatical tone of his voice now dominated.

"Your bastard son will be purified! You should thank me for it..." His shrill voice competed with Serian´s, as he desperately tried to object the Maesters decision.

"Don´t do this to me! You can´t! _Father! _I´m your _son!"_ Serian screamed in hysteria, but the voice of his condemner was fanatical, ruthless and merciless.

"My son is dead! _I don´t have a son!" _Commodus barked, and Jyscal turned his questioning eyes to him.

"What is that man talking about you being his father? He is surely lying, yes?" The half-Guado asked, and Commodus turned his furious gaze to him.

"Of course he is lying. I have never seen that man before! His words are only babbling of a crazed man, that´s all." He said this with stony face, and not even a twitch of his mouth revealed his lies. But Serian heard very well his father´s words. Very well indeed.

He fell silent, simply just staring at this man, who had conceived him years, decades, before. He was pale as death, and his hands were shaking, as he pulled his son closer to his embrace. He soothed his son´s hair with his trembling hand, gave him a kiss to his forehead, and just wished he could die with his son. But he couldn´t. He still had his wife.

"Don´t worry, Sion, my dearest. It will be all over soon, I promise you. I will see you really, really soon..." He partly sobbed, partly giggled these words, and a simple look to his son´s face assured that Sion didn´t know what was soon to happen to him.

"Commodus, I believe your words. This is truly deplorable, but it must be done. The blood of a low-cast Guado and a low-rank human, should not, _must not, _mix.

After this is over, you will overtake the seat of Maester Deprien, as you wished. As my...act of gratitude. Lord Deprien has not administered his duties properly, anyway.

As for the matters at hand..." Lord Jyscal paused for a moment.

"The Maesters and upper clergy has clearly stated their opinion for this indictment, and we have decided your punishment as follows: your son will be executed for the act of treason. The conviction will be fulfilled immediately."

Serian´s voice died in his throat, before he got a chance to object once more.

The soldiers of Yevon dragged him away, but he had more than enough time to hear one single voice of gunshot echoing in the stone walls.

A/N: Ohh. Depressing. And it is just getting darker. _Much _darker. This is what you´re going to get, when the writer is in stage of depression. Nah...not really. This is what I had planned from the beginning...

Tell me what parts you liked, which you didn´t. I need more constructive criticism. : )

_And a small, unimportant notice to kiddies;_

_The next chapter may have to be rated as **R.** Maybe. Perhaps. And, **if** it is, pray that you are old enough to read it. ; ) Otherwise, you´ll get a trauma for the rest of your young life. _

Ahh. My next ficcy is going to be happier. And life loving. And cheerier.

I promise! ; )

P.S. If you are an absolute Seymour fan, watch anime movie called Vampire Hunter D. It is starring Alex Fernandez (the voice actor for Seymour in FF X) as one of the voice actors. Yay!

Until I shall write more, fare-thee-well!


	13. Daddy dearest Part I

The Day I Died.

_  
Chapter 13. Daddy dearest. Part I._

After the sphere's contents were shown, and the glowing lightball glowed less and less shinier, Lulu, Wakka and Rikku still sat in their seats quietly. There were no words to be spoken.

After a long moment of uncomfortable uneasiness, Laetitia rose up from her crimson cushion and headed for the tent's entrance. After moment's of hesitating, she finally turned around and addressed the trio. "You can watch the rest of the sphere's, if you like. I care nothing of them anymore…my husband from those memories is dead. All I have now is a memory of him, a bitter man, who is battling constantly; trough out his life it's all the same…but this is a battle he cannot win. It will prove too much for him…and to me, too." She said quietly, and Rikku watched with her swirling green eyes at the thin woman before her.

"_I never knew_…If we had known, we could have tried to bring the religion of Yevon down! We could have…prevent it from happening…we could have--" Rikku whispered, her eyes wide open, and with a childish self-accusing, she tried to reason with herself.

"Yevon, child, had nothing to do with my son's death. I know now that the agreement for his punishment´, like Commodus so skilfully named my child's murder, was only one of…_convenience." _Laetitia irrupted softly.

""…Convenience"?" Wakka asked in confusion.

"Yes. The Guado´s are amazingly old, pure race and immensely proud of it.

Seeing their ancient race be tainted with such an inferior blood can be considered as some kind of twisted, sacrilegious crime. Hearing that someone of that great tree of Guadosalam had been doing exactly like that…well, they weren't quite happy about it." After seeing their terrified faces, Laetitia smiled with half-amusement, half-sorrow.

"But do not take me wrong…they, like us, are not so keen on taking other people's lives for such a disseverance for the rules…The Guado race is small and withering. If they want to continue to exist, they have to welcome outsiders for their great family tree." Laetitia smiled ironically at this. "But nonetheless, my and Serian´s son was not _pure_, he was not royal by blood…_so very unlike this other blue-haired hybrid I have previously encountered. _Of course, Jyscal, with all of his fame and glory, could make an exception, which he _did, _years before my son was birthed.

Yes, **_his_** son could survive. **_His _**son was rich and royal by blood. _ **His **_son flourished!

And mine got swept away, under the mattress, to be hidden and ashamed for the rest of his life…and the rest…you already know." Laetitia spoke bitterly, cursing the name of the Guado Maester each time with a furious hiss, every time she remembered his blasphemy.

"…But even then, when Seymour was already in this world, could not Jyscal see _my_ son's brilliance. He saw only his failures, his flaws. He wanted Sion out of the home of his ancestors, out to the cold, rejecting world.

He wanted him out, away from his eyes, like he had wanted his own son as well, years before. And this…suited Commodus Honoré, my husband's father, very well." Laetitia sighed deeply, sadly. "Very well indeed…"

"But…why?" Lulu asked, curious to hear the answer.

"Commodus was not the most…slacky father there was. In fact, he hated and despised everyone who was not pure-blooded…_who were not humans_. In secrecy, of course.

Your career in politics was quite short, if you babbled out everything you thought, and Commodus was wise not to make that mistake.

And he was also highly ambitious! Take a handful of ambition, a spoonful of extremely high wealth, pour deep hatred in to the cauldron, and stir. What do you get? A mixture of not so good intentions, yes?" Laetitia continued with tired sarcasm.

"You see, Commodus was twin brother of lady Adelé Honoré.

And this certain Adelé happened to marry years before a strange man, a man of bluish hair and long arms. That man was the future father of lord Seymour Guado.

Commodus and Adelé had always, as I heard, been very, very close.

They always shared everything, and loved each other deeply. So, eventually, as their father announced the news of his sister´s great future to him, Commodus didn't take the news of her marriage with that strange man easily.

Even though Commodus objected harshly, their father naturally didn´t listen to him. He had gained rather large fee when he agreed to give his daughter´ s hand at marriage with Jyscal.

And so was Adelé separated from her brother and the rest of her family for the rest of her illness-filled life. Jyscal prohibited her to make contacts with the outside world; she was now living in Guadosalam. She was now part of _them. _Her place was there, now: as a Mistress of Guadosalam, no matter how she was despised and ignored there.

Commodus saw her for the last time in her Chamber of the Fayth, in Baaj, where her own son had condemned her in a decade after her leave for Guadosalam.

Commodus tends to be rather fanatical about everything he beliefs, and he believed that Guados and the Al-Bhed were scum, and they needed to be eradicated from the face of Spira.

Now, all he had to do was to convince Jyscal that Sion was a product of conspiracy against him. That Sion was standing there; ready to cause his reign's downfall. Of course, as Seymour had already swayed Jyscal´s rocky boat, he was naturally afraid the immense threat of my six-year old son.

And when Commodus offered relatively high fee in return, that spineless mouse of a Guado of course, _naturally, _agreed to show everyone in Spira that the Maester´s son was the one and only half-Guado, and he would always remain as one in the future." Laetitia solemnly stated.

"That's terrible!" Rikku exclaimed, but Lulu merely lifted a brow.

"I don't really understand. How come you keep talking about that your son was a half-breed? You are not a Guado, nor is your husband. So, what's the catch?" Lulu questioned.

"Yeah! Spill the beans!" Rikku exclaimed, again, and now they all stared at Laetitia as if she was a lying bag of…well, beans.

"I will gladly eh, "spill the beans", to you…I'll tell you everything." Laetitia Honoré said, and showed her next sphere to them.

* * *

They had now arrived, and a great lump of fear that had gathered to Yuna´s throat like a furball in cat's throat, threatening to suffocate her. They now stood near Guadosalam´s entrance, and eerie silence fell in the forest.

Despite her fear, Yuna quietly went to Serian´s side, and he stared at her with stare of mixed loathing, annoyance and genuine, although somewhat odd, interest.

She was in ease, although just in small, tiniest one, with him around her. Yuna knew that Serian wouldn't kill her yet; he still had to wait for that to happen. Now as he was towering somewhere above her, as he was more than head taller than she was, Yuna furiously tried to figure out something, _anything, _to say to him in attempt to sway him off of whatever cursed plot he had.

Without a warning, Serian´s stony voice spoke to her somewhere above her.

"Are you sure about my offer, _m´lady?" _

Yuna glanced him in annoyance. "Yes, I´m sure, _m´Lord, _and the answer is still no. I'm not going to be one of your puppets in the Council."

Serian was silent for a moment, but then the corner of his mouth lifted in to a half-smile, making him look, once again, all knowing. This annoyed Yuna greatly.

"As you wish." He solemnly stated, and waved somebody to come.

"Yes, my Lord?" The soldier asked. He was one of the men who had driven the carriages.

"Order the battalion to arrive. I trust that they are waiting for my orders right at the very moment?" He coolly asked, and the soldier nodded and disappeared from Yuna´s sight.

"What? A battalion? What are you doing?" Yuna asked in horror, but Serian simply ignored the girl. Instead, he turned to look at the closing battalion of a hundred men, all clothed in the darkest of black and crimson red. Their silver masks shined, and Serian smiled at his soldiers.

"It was such a pity, that Tromell did not agree to hand Seymour to me last week, as I kindly asked. He was already dead, he said. _But I knew_…I knew that he was still somewhere in here…I would have killed him myself. I still could…but this makes it much more _enjoyable." S_erian whispered the last word to her ear, and Yuna shuddered from the words´ cold and uncaring echo.

"As the Guado did not agree to my kind and fair proposal, they must die. _Truly, such a pity." _Serian smiled, responding to Yuna´s questioning stare.

"What?! You can't just--! DONT DO THAT!" Yuna screamed, and all what Serian did, was to smile. Smile his all-knowing, superior, and remorseless smile.

As the Inquisitors marched past them, Yuna gasped, and held her hands in front of her mouth. Standing behind her, Serian took a step closer, so that they were very close to each other. As Yuna was observing the soldiers advancement, she didn't realise how Serian gently slipped his hands on her shoulders.

He leaned closer, and whispered to her ear.

"_You should not have disobeyed me, Yuna. Now you shall see what happens when I am not obeyed."_

Yuna felt his hot breath fan the crook of her neck, her ear and hair…and the thought that _she had caused this _made her shiver and tremble.  
He smoothed her neck and bare shoulders with his thumb, she could _feel _his steady and warm breathing. This new feeling made her shiver even more.  
" It does not matter. Not anymore. _They do not matter. _Anymore." He whispered once again, and as she remained silent, he pulled her closer.

He forced her to lean against his chest, and continued to agitate her with his soft _(yet cold?) _whispering.

And as she heard the terrified screams of the completely surprised Guados, the shouting of the Inquisitors and the cries of the few Guado children, she was breaking.

She couldn't take this anymore.

_It was entirely fault. My fault. Mine. If I had agreed, those people could have been spared…**My fault!**_

These thoughts swirled endlessly in her mind now, and Yuna couldn't help but to feel helpless, alone and…guilty. And as the first tears dropped down on her cheeks, and her shoulders started to tremble, Serian knew. _She had given up.  
Everything was breakable, and he would break her. It was only matter of time now._  
This dark, selfish thought had been troubling him, since he first saw her, and Serian knew that he had to give in to this little thought someday. _Preferably soon._

"_Will you obey me now?" _He whispered in her ear, as he swirled a lock of her chocolate-brown hair in his finger.The_ question was futile; he knew what she was going to answer. _He simply wanted to_ hear_ it.  
She whispered a small "yes", and Serian smiled yet again. For the first time in his life, he would soon attain everything he had ever wanted.

By destroying Guadosalam to the last roots of the Great Tree, he would finally erase the crimes committed against his son. He would erase his own past from there.  
Only Laetitia, Yuna and his own father knew about his…_condition._  
Commodus and the High Summoner would take that secret to their cold, lonely graves, Serian would make sure of that.

His world would be perfect then, his sins would be redeemed and his son would be happy that his father had avenged his death!

Serian was happy for the first time in months as he thought more of his utopia, his dream.

Unlike Seymour, Serian never needed power to make his life reasonable; he had his wife and son to take care of that. And now, when part of his haven was gone…he had became unbalanced; he wanted revenge. He _needed_ revenge, like a fish needs water to survive or a bird needed its wings to fly.

After the screams in the city had quieted down, and no more sounds of battle were heard, eerie and ominous silence fell once again, surrounding Yuna and Serian with it's nothingness. A true prelude, maybe even crescendo, for Serian´s glory.

He cherished this moment.

Lives had ended, and his retribution had now fulfilled its purpose with another tiny deed, although he knew that his task had only begun, he felt no remorse. _After all, if something had to be done, why not enjoy doing it?_

Serian pushed Yuna harshly away from his embrace, as a soldier came to his presence.

The Inquisitor bowed and spoke to Serian. "My lord…we have purified the city. There's nothing in there anymore. Would you like to come and inspect the casualties?" The soldier questioned in formal, overly respecting tone, and Serian glanced at the man.

"How big is the rate for casualties and dead civilians?" He asked coolly, and the soldier straightened immediately. "There are four casualties from our side, and all of the city's occupants are dead. No survivors, sir. The mission was completed perfectly, sir." The soldier stated with enthusiasm. He didn't care whose life he took, his fat gil-pouch from his Lord was more than enough to promise him eternal peace from the half-breeds.

Serian´s expression didn't even flinch from the news of the massacre.

"Splendid. Burn the whole city to the ground!" He ordered with determination.

Yuna swirled around, and looked him straight in to his eyes.

"No!! You can't do that!" She screamed in desperation, but Serian only glanced at her.

"_I can, and I will." _He whispered calmly, and his expression remained stony, his mask of remorseless executioner was perfect. "You would do wise and not to forget, whose fault this all was, yes?" He said to the girl, and Yuna´s eyes widened.

Her legs were too weak to carry her, and she fell to the cold ground, and tears ran once again from her eyes. "How can…someone be so cruel? Do you have no mercy?" She whispered very quietly, but Serian still heard her.

"Do you think I'm heartless?" He questioned, and his face was not now cold and uncaring, but relatively curious and calculating. Yuna lifted her eyes to look at him.

"_No…but you are a monster." _she said quietly, and her voice was filled with fury and venom.

Those words seemed to have some kind of impact on Serian. He was staring at her with wide eyes, forgetting to shut his mouth and his hands were clenched to fists.

And his eyes…Yuna saw something glistering in those dismal eyes.

She saw pain, bitterness, hatred and anger.

"I'm a monster now, am I?" He whispered quietly.

Serian grabbed her hand and yanked her off from the muddy ground. He slapped her right across the face, and the pain and the sheer power of his hit made Yuna see stars, but a small voice in the back of her head demanded her not to show any weakness to that man, and she knew that if she whimpered in pain, it would only arouse him to continue.

Serian however, didn't need any kind of stimulus to continue his sadism over her.

As the girl didn't beg him to stop, she didn't whimper from the pain or the fear he inflicted upon her, Serian wanted to continue. He wanted her to beg on her knees for him. So, in order to fulfill his twisted needs, he hit her with the back of his hand and if it was even possible, even harder than the last time.

Yuna´s head snapped to the other side, and her knees doddered dangerously, but she refused to give in. She didn't want to be weak, not in front of him.

She demanded her legs to carry her weight, and for her amazement, she didn't fall to the ground. She lifted her chin up proudly, defiantly, and looked at him straight to his eyes with all the murderous rage she mustered from her feeble body.

There it was.

There was the emotion what Serian had hidden in his heart trough his shredded life, and he could now see it from her eyes…the feeling gave him a disturbing sense of déjá-vu.

In order to repel his own agonizing scream inside his head, he hit the girl once more, but this time he punched her straight to her prettily shaped mouth.

She fell straight to the mud this time. But for Serian´s dismay, the girl was not unconscious, she glared at him with tears making finally their way down her face. Her eyes were wide open from paralysing fear, but not fear from his painful aggression, but from the fear of his _eyes._

His lilac eyes were wide open too, but not from fear.

They were glossy, feverish and seeing something completely different what Yuna could not see; Serian turned his eyes to rest upon her petite form, and a small, twisted smile played in his lips.

"So…tell me again what kind of a monster I am…tell me where the likes of _me _belongs…what I _deserve…_" His voice rose gradually from quiet whisper in to high pitched rambling as he continued to speak to her.

"I won´t. You´ll hurt me." She said with meek voice.

Serian drew a silver dagger from his robes, and continued his mumbling. Glancing at the blade, Yuna felt immensely cold; it was the same silver dagger which killed her countless of times in her nightmares.

"I won´t hurt you, girl…._It usually was the other way, Father. Tell me once again what I am _….if you don´t tell me now, I will hurt you, Lady Yuna!" Serian murmured, and Yuna continued to stare at him, his voice seemed to be dark, low in one time, and in the next second his tone was high-pitched and shrill.

Not caring about the hot tears she could feel running down her face, or the fear eating her away from inside, she reached her hand to him.

"Serian…please stop this."

He looked at her in surprise, like he had just been awoken from a deep slumber and Laetitia´s image danced in his retinas happily ever after, blending to the young summoner´s face.

Serian was confused.

Wasn´t he was just talking with his Father? And then the Summoner had somehow interrupted him…and now his wife was laying in the ground. But….wasn´t Laetitia at home? Where Yuna was? _What happened? _

He focused his eyesight, trying to get a hold of his rampaging thoughts, and after a while of fruitless staring, he saw that _Yuna _was the one lying in the ground, shivering from something he had done.

"You´re not Laetitia…You´re not _Her._" He whispered breathlessly, still staring at her with wide, confused eyes.

"Of course I´m not…I´m Yuna." The girl said with drained voice, and slowly Serian started to grip to the steep edge of reality, and a sudden warm sensation flushed trough his body. _"She was Yuna, and I had not yet killed her. Good." _The voice in his mind breathed, and Serian soon had a sour expression.

"_How stupid of me to get lost to my thoughts again…I should punish her for making me getting lost again. She is the **only **mudblood here, after all."_

* * *

A/N: Angst! God´s gift to twisted writers. Yep.

And no, there weren´t any **_R-_** rated content in this chappie. Lovely Lucrecia pointed this fact to me in her review, and I came to the conclusion that those scenes, which I first intended into this chapter were merely space fillers, and would have had nothing to do with the plot. And, if I would write _too _depressing plotline people would lose faith in me.

Anyway, the R-warning is not yet removed, however.

I planned this fic to be quite dark in some parts, and I intend to hold on to that plan.

As always, reviews are warmly welcomed and their sender is highly respected. ; )

I have encountered an critical error, my Mozilla firefox has crashed for some reason, and all of my former information such as bookmarks, cookies and pagehistory has disappeared, and I decided to get rid of Mozilla and get Opera instead. But now I see that does not support my browser entirely. (I don´t remember if I have too old or too new browser.) Anyway, I am not able to access QuickEdit at all. This will result in highly annoying text format, the loss of bold texts, italics and such. Irritating! If anyone can help me with this, please feel free to drop me an mail, for I am not anykind of expert on computers. I do not think that I will post any more chappies to , if they do not start to support Opera fully, or I will get a new browser again. (for the fourth time!)This, however, is rather wishful thinking. 


	14. Daddy dearest Part II

The Day I Died.

_  
Chapter 14. Daddy dearest. Part II._

_  
_

Lady Honoré looked at the three former guardians with a weary smile playing in her lips.

"I promised to you I would explain why my husband, Serian, has now more power than all the maesters´ put together and why he hates the likes of Yuna and the half-blood maester…I should fulfill that promise now. By doing this, I will betray my husband…I promised him that I would always stay by his side, but…it must be done. I can´t let him simply kill everyone he hates. That won´t bring our son back." Laetitia whispered, and took another black sphere out of the pouch and observed it in her hand.

A tear ran down her cheek, and the sphere glowed with dark light and they were drawn to it´s realms once again. A memory. Lulu watched the scenery laid to her eyes, and the memory´s pain and overwhelming disappointment clenched her heart and tried to rip it apart.

They were all silent as they observed the scene before them.

It was Guadosalam. The scent of the air told something bad, something deadly serious had just happened. All of Guadosalam had gathered to the centre of the living city, and low whispering was all what was heard.

Even Jyscal Guado and his wife and son were attending to the gathering.

Jyscal and his wife, Adelé, seemed to have a heated argument, and the boy standing between them looked totally helpless as he stared up to his parents with his bright lilac eyes, which were legacy from his human mother.

But the boy soon realized that a pair of similar lilac eyes were fixed upon his small frame, and he turned his eyes to look at his observer. Seymour had never liked how people looked at him, he never fancied that penetrating and calculating stare, but something about the other boy, how he stared at him made Seymour wonder.  
In Seymour´s eyes, the boy who was watching him, looked like just another Guado boy to him, although the boy possessed this odd melancholy and certain fear in his eyes, that Seymour wondered why should a normal Guado-boy be so very afraid. Guadosalam was nothing to be afraid, Seymour had lived there over six years already and he knew by his child´s instinct that there was nothing to be afraid.

The boy who Seymour thought to be bit odd, with his slightly less spiky white hair and slightly shorter arms, was now staring at certain Guado-woman who was standing alone, far from the boy. The woman had pale complexion, snow-white hair and bluish eyes. Seymour smiled as he remembered the woman´s name; she was Arwaeryl, the servant for his father…_a member of the lower cast, _Seymour recalled with a small smirk. But his childish smile vanished immediately, as he saw that the woman was crying her heart out.  
She tried to muffle her sobs to her sleeve, but made quite poor job at it. Seymour´s observation was however irritably interrupted, as Jyscal decided to speak.

"I don´t understand why you have chosen to return to this place…did I not told you never to return again?" Jyscal stormed, and the dark haired man who was standing behind the odd boy opened his mouth.

"I came to make you understand that you can´t abandon everything you don´t like and sweep them under the mat like they were garbage, Jyscal….not like you are going to do with _your own son…" _He drawled, and Jyscal flinched.

"You are going to send him to Baaj, aren´t you?" The raven-haired man continued.

"Adelé, did you tell him about this?" Jyscal hissed, and Adelé snapped back with equally frosty tone. "Of _course_ I did. Commodus is my brother, after all."

"I do not wish to be in contact with your _kin_, Jyscal, ever again, but I want you to acknowledge my son as part of the Guado family. He must live here, where he belongs." Adelé´s brother hissed with poison in his voice, and Jyscal smiled.  
"how ironic. Here you are, preaching to me how I "should not abandon my offspring" as you are doing your everything to dumb your bastard son to my care, _Commodus."_

"I care nothing for him." Commodus replied, and Jyscal´s smile grew wider. "Indeed."

"I have had enough of your meddling in the affairs of the Guado. I demand your leave from my city." Jyscal said with stony voice, and Commodus smirked.

"Then tell me what will happen to my son if I should leave?" Commodus questioned bitterly.

"I care nothing of him either, Commodus. He does not have proper lineage nor is his blood pure enough to be considered wholly as a Guado. True, my son is also half-breed, but Seymour is solely the result of my legal marriage and he is also my heir. Your son is not result of _legal _marriage, nor is he of noble blood. Now I demand you´ll leave us be." Jyscal stated grimly, and his wife was in the verge of tears.

"…Fine then. So long, sister. You know I love you." Commodus spat and turned to look at the frightened six year old boy in front of him.

"Take my hand; we´ll go now." He whispered to the boy, and the boy looked at his father with his wonderful lilac eyes, heritage from his father. "But….what about Mother? Isn´t she coming along too?" The boy asked, struggling to not to spill any tears. He knew how his father hated him when he cried: he always said how tears were a sign of weakness and how he _hated _weak people.  
"No. we´ll have to go away without her." Commodus simply stated, without any kind of emotion in his voice."But….when we will be back?" The boy asked. It was even harder to bite back the tears, but he wanted to make his father proud; he would not ashame him.

"We won´t be back." Came the emotionless reply. Six-year old Serian glanced his weeping mother one last time, and his father pulled him, partially dragged him away from Guadosalam for good.

The sphere´s surroundings chanced. The memory was different.

A white-haired, pale-faced boy was staring at himself from the mirror.

He was the same boy from the previous memory, although he was few years older, he was still oddly heavy-minded and melancholic for an eight-year old.

Serian continued to stare at his reflection, and he could swore that his reflection was laughing at him. He grimly touched his veins in his forehead with his long, delicate fingers and suddenly remembered how he hated them. He dropped his hand back, remembering how he should be praying to Yevon right now. Father didn´t like if Serian didn´t pray at least five times in a day; Father always said how Yevon would cleanse his sins which came to him when he was born.

And speaking of which…his father was standing in the doorway, peering down to his son. Suddenly Serian felt like all the air in his lungs had been drawn out; he tried to please his father so much, so much it hurt, but Commodus was very demanding father.

"Have you been praying today, Serian?" Commodus coolly asked, and a small cold spark ran trough Serian´s small frame. He had forgotten completely, as he was playing in the basement with Father´s sword. He shouldn´t have touched Father´s things, he knew, but the silver dagger was so fascinating, so very _sharp._

"You are not going to answer my question?" The cold voice brought the boy back to the grim reality, and he glanced at his father with his pale indigo eyes wide open.  
"Yes, I have prayed, Father." Serian was not a good liar, and his father knew this. "Have you?" Commodus merely lifted his brow to him. "Yes. A-And I prayed to Yevon that he would punish the mudbloods, Sir." The boy whispered. He didn´t really know _why _he should hate them; Father always said how they were garbage and how they should suffer, but he never explained _why._ Serian was scared to ask him; he knew how it would anger the man. But curious little child as he was, Serian opened his mouth to ask. 

"Why are the…mudbloods so terrible, Father?" He asked with wonder in his voice, but the older man´s eyes were so terrible that the voice died in his throat.

"_You filthy little beast…_After all what I have taught you…after giving you a home and clothes to hide your _abnormality_, you dare to ask **that** from me?" Commodus hissed, and slapped the boy across the face. Serian could feel his right side of his face sting like it was on fire, but he didn´t care; he had angered Father. He would pay the price for his foolishness soon.

"Well, allow me to _educate _you a little, Serian." The elder man hissed, and grabbed his son´s pure-white hair. Serian did nothing even that his scalp hurt so much that tears threatened to spill from his eyes. The boy´s arms rested limply on his sides, and he simply stood there and waited for his father to _educate _him.

"You are nothing than a cursed little freak….oh, how your mother wanted to hold you, nurse you and love you…but I knew better…yes, _I knew better. _You are a freak, an abomination and _nobody will **ever** love you!" _Commodus continued, and dragged his son to face the tall wall-mirror.  
"Look at yourself….what do you see?" He asked from his son with a tone Serian had never heard before. The voice was sharp and high-pitched, far from his usual coldness. 

"I-I see myself, Father." The little boy whispered, and his voice was small from the strangling fear in his throat.

"**_What _**_are you?" _Commodus questioned harshly.

From this, Serian glanced his Father with terrified eyes trough the mirror.

"I´m me. I´m Serian. _Your son." _He whispered.

His father´s lips lifted into a grim, cold smile. His hand had never left his son´s hair, and now his grip got even harder.  
He yanked his hand and his son´s head slightly away from the mirror´s reflection. 

"_You are not my pure-blooded son. **What **are you?"_

Commodus Honoré loved his son very much. So much, it almost hurt. 

Almost.

"_Your son!"_ Serian shrieked with terror, his long fingers desperately trying to remove his Father´s strong grip on his hair and scared eyes spilling silvery tears down his burning cheek.

Commodus hit his son´s face hard against the mirror´s cool surface.

_**  
Smash.**_

"_You are nothing but a filthy mudblood. If it weren´t for your mother, I would have gladly taken your life myself! We were happy, Arwaeryl and I. **You **ruined it for me!"_

_**Smash.**_

The broken mirror was now covered with blood and tears of his son.

"_Now…what are you?"_

"_A…mudblood."_

"_What does the likes of **you **deserve?"_

_**Smash.**_

"_T-To suffer, Father." _The little boy managed to sob trough his half-consciousness and his head felt strangely light and he vaguely noticed how something warm trickled down his jaw and throat. But none of that really mattered.

The only thing what mattered was that _it had stopped._ He didn´t even need to turn his head to see, that his father was smiling.

"_You´re nothing more than a failure, and that´s what you´re ever going to be, Serian. But even still, I am your_ father_ and I love you." _Commodus whispered to his son, and although he knew how his words had wounded Serian deeply, he smiled. Those words, whispered to any son, would have made them spill tears. However, Serian didn´t want to be so weak, not anymore.

Commodus left his semi-conscious son to lie in the cold stone floor, and Serian watched his reflection from the broken mirror.

"_Mirror mirror on the wall, tell me whose the most beautiful of them all?" _Serian whispered in his mind, and the twisted reflection sneered at him with a broken child´s smile. "Certainly not you, **mudblood.**" The cruel voice rang in the stony walls, lasting an eternity for the little boy, rending his throat sore.

Oh, yes. **_Now _**Serian knew how his reflection laughed at him.

And he also knew now, that Father didn´t _really_ hate the mudbloods. Serian knew that he _loved _them. After all, didn´t the most purest love mean the suffering of the body and heart? After all, didn´t all fathers wanted to kill their son? _Isn´t this **love? **_

Serian loved his Father very much, so much, it hurt him sometimes.

When it had hurt him once too much, he crept in during the night in the room where Father kept the silver dagger. In that night, Serian had taken it from under Father´s all seeing eyes, and decided that he would guard Father from anyone who wanted to hurt him.

In the darkness of the night, he crept to Father´s bedroom with the dagger clenched to his small hand tightly. Serian had listened his Father´s steady, deep breathing and imagined that a filthy mudblood tried to harm Father. And that mudblood was sleeping now in Father´s bed! How dared he?

Oh, yes. He would protect his Father from those filthy mudbloods.

Serian, despite his young age, knew what happened if a filthy mudblood had his throat cut open. And the mudblood´s throat was right under the breathing.

_He would rise the dagger like **this,**_

Serian lifted the big silver dagger above his head, above his Father´s chest.

…_and he would stab him like **this.**_

Serian prepared to press the dagger down to the mudblood´s chest, but the filthy creature had turned to his side in his sleep, and the boy missed.

Serian had forgotten again.

"_Oh. It wasn´t a mudblood after all. It was Father. And we don´t want to kill Father, do we?" _He heard the little voice inside his mind speak to him; it always spoke to him when Father had loved him more painfully than usually.

Sometimes, when Serian was bored, as he never couldn´t go outside to play, he often talked with the voice inside his mind.

He had named his voice as _Animus._

_

* * *

_

A/N: Ohh…Such a disturbed little boy. I feel sorry for him.

Explanation time: "Animus" is the opposite of "Anima". Anima is the feminine side inside of man´s personality, whereas Animus is the masculine side of woman´s psyche. These contexts are rather complex, and I do not feel worthy enough to try and explain these two to you with my scant knowledge of psychology. I am aware that professors Jung and Freud have research these contexts, and you can read their studies about Anima and Animus to know more. Anima and Animus means also spirits with feminine and masculine sides. But why Serian named his "friend" as Animus? Animus is the masculin side inside woman´s mind, yes. But why not "Anima"? You´ll find that out later.

I hope you are not too shocked about this, it´s just that this thought crept to my mind in one night, and I personally prefer to write angst and tragedy, for some weird reason.

At first, the chapters 13 and 14 were planned to post as a one enormous chapter but naturally, that would have been too much. I KNOW that no one would possess the immense strength to read fifteen pages straight! So, I divided the chapter thirteen into two "mini-stories".

And, once again, this chapter didn´t tell anything about Seymour. I´m sorry! There´s time for that later. (despite the fact that it may take hundreds of chapters to get to that point!) : )  
This chappie didn´t serve in anyway as a major plot mover, but I kind of fancy Serian, and I feel that I should explain his motives properly, and that takes time and chapters. 

And as a tribute for Mr. Thomas Harris, the author of the ever famous novel "Red Dragon", my personal favourite, I have borrowed few concepts of that great book in to this chapter. Salutations, Mr. Harris!

Anyway, you know the drill: you read and review. Say what you like and don´t like. YOU HAVE THE POWER (although minimal) to shape this story. Kind of. Maybe.

Ah, no. Not really. But getting constructive reviews sure is nice.

You know it already. steal my fic or any parts of it, and the heavens will smite you. Every time you even _think _of"borrowing" my fic or any parts of it, Serian kills a kitten.

Thank you.


	15. When a lovebird dies

The Day I Died.

_Chapter 15. When a lovebird dies._

Lulu fumbled her Onionknight in anxiety, and watched as the dark, violent waves of the ancient sea broke in the ship´s side. The ship, where Lulu, Wakka and Rikku were boarding on, was on it´s way to Bevelle. The three guardians could´t take the glooming uncertainty anymore, so they decided to head to Spira´s capital city to find their summoner. Especially now, when they had seen the black spheres, their worry transformed to fear, and in time, that fear would turn into hysteria.

All this, for their friend, who had grown up with them in a position of a sister for Lulu and Wakka. And if the news from Laetitia Honoré were true, as they so ominously seemed to be, Yuna was in serious danger.

Laetitia Honoré would arrive to Bevelle in another ship, trying to avoid any suspects about her connections to the Summoner and her motives to travel to Besaid.

Frankly, Lulu, Wakka and Rikku did not care about the woman, finding Yuna was all that mattered. Lady Laetitia had informed the three guardians that the summoner was supposed to be escorted to Guadosalam for still unknown reasons, and after her task, Yuna was supposed to be taken back to Bevelle.

Somehow, Lulu could not believe those words.

* * *

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

A heart was pounding hard, with terrible speed in effort to let the blood flow trough a fragile body.

Dom. Dodom. Dom. Dodom. Dom.

Yuna could feel her heart pounding like it was living it´s last moments, but ignoring the feeling, she gathered her strength and got up to her feet from the dusty ground.

She eyed warily the man in front of her.

Serian seemed somehow _different. _Something she had said before, seemed to push him off the edge, if only temporarily.

There was something about that man, what made her shiver.

At first, Serian was silent too. He didn´t seem to know what as happening to him, either. He looked at her, and for the first time, his face was not stony or filled with animosity, but it was only blank, and his bright, lilac eyes were wide open. He seemed to be lost, and somehow out of place. In silence, Serian lifted his hands and looked at them with an expression she had not seen before. He seemed to be checking that his hands were still in place. And one trembling, pale hand crept to his forehead, and caressed the smooth skin. After this odd moment of self-confirmation, his smooth hands rose to his raven-black hair. They were _seeking _something, something what only Serian could only imagine. The hands did not find what they were searching for, and slowly, like in a dream, they dropped to his sides.

Yuna watched this oddly serious moment. She took a step closer to the man, and although she knew that he was dangerous, she couldn´t stop herself.

"…Are you alright?" Yuna whispered. Her question was so ridiculous, as she was questioning the health of the man, who had just hurt her. Serian acknowledged this too, and he slowly lifted his piercing eyes to meet her own.

"….I thought I saw someone….someone who has been lost for a very long time…maybe it is you? You, who will wake him up from his slumber?" He whispered. Yuna wasn´t sure what he meant.

"What are you…?" She questioned, but Serian soon cut her question.

"You know what I mean." Came a very low, cold and pained voice.

"….So, it _was _you! _You _were the small boy in those spheres!" Yuna breathed, and couldn´t hide the surprise from her expression.

Yuna had seen the spheres, and she knew what happened to the little boy in the memories. The little boy had died, long time ago, only to be replaced with a heart of bittered man, despise his anger and pain, a heart what loved someone.

"It was not me." Came his quiet, wavering answer, "It was the boy in the mirror."

* * *

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

Seymour felt betrayed. His own feelings had betrayed him.

What was he doing? Why was he travelling back to the city that had birthed him, years ago, only to condemn him as a failure? **_Why _**had he done this? This was not part of the plans…Suddenly, as he watched outside to the darkening sky from the window of his cabin, he remembered the reason. He remembered, once again, his summoner.

He remembered Yuna.

Oh, how he felt so hollow now. He knew now, how he wanted to be with her. But he also knew, that it was impossible. _No one should ever love_**_ him. _**His mind´s voice spat the last word as if it was filth, a thing to be despised, and Seymour knew that it was despicable for her to even consider having feelings for him. _Why didn´t she tried to fight me, when she had the chance? Why she didn´t spit on my face, and told me how much she hated me, after everything I did for her? _Seymour thought. _And now…she will only suffer more. This…will not end well._

Seymour knew what awaited for them in the next day. _Pain, bitterness, hatred and undying love. _He closed his eyes, and dozed off to his haven in dreams.

Not too much late after, the carriages came to a halt. A guard opened the door, and awaited the tall man to get off.The ex-Maester stepped to the darkening opening, only to find a strange, atrocious smell forcing it´s way to his nose and throat.

The smell of burned flesh.

Seymour blinked, and looked at his surroundings in confusion. _Has Guadosalam always been this dark? _No, it had not been dark´. _And what´s this smell? _He found a corpse lying in the ground, few meters away. …_Oh. …OH._

"Like the scenery?" A cheery voice rang behind him. Seymour turned around and saw Serian sneering at him, and Yuna was behind him.

"I can´t say that I have gotten used to it yet." Seymour whispered.

"Such a shame." Serian replied in overly cheery voice. Maybe he was trying to cover something, Seymour wasn´t sure.

"This…would not have been necessary." Seymour stated, his voice low and eyes wide open.

"Oh, so you think that slaying an entire race of mountain-cats was justified, because you decided to end their lives with almost painless magic? I saw your _work_ in Mt. Gagazet. I knew I could do better. _And I did. _The old fashioned fire and blade of a sword did the trick this time." Serian said, and gestured to Yuna to come closer.

She did, and Serian put his hands to her shoulders in a false, fatherly custom.

"She has been very strong. I didn´t think that she could have taken the killings so easily! Maybe your presence has made her open up a little…made her tougher. _And God knows, _that must be it, since how anyone could get close to _you?"_ Serian smiled, expressing revulsion in his face, and Seymour paled. Seymour´s mouth was only a thin line from anger, and knowing how well he managed to wound him with his sharp tongue, Serian leaned closer to Yuna and forced her to lean on his chest.

He then bended a little, allowing his chin to rest on Yuna´s shoulder.

He watched Seymour´s reactions, and he smiled as he saw the desired expressions.

Serian´s expression hardened, and his smile died.  
"**_You should thank me. _**After all, I am finishing your work! You wanted them dead, _I killed them. _You wanted them to be saved, _I saved them. _You wanted them to be punished, _I punished them. _A fate of a single summoner is trivial, is it not? This puny girl though that she was something. But she is nothing but a daughter of a famous man, and a _whore _to a maester in a play that **_you_** called marriage**."**

A single tear escaped from the corner of Yuna´s eye, as she realized these lies as truths. She was too locked to even realize the pain, as the salty tear sting her open cuts. Seymour observed her in unreadable expression for a moment.

But before he could say anything, Serian continued his hate-filled explanations.  
"You say you want to give the people of Spira _freedom._ But you don´t know what freedom is! **_I´m free! _**_I can breathe!_" Serian hissed, and Seymour merely furrowed his brows at his words.

"And now…I´ll set _her_ free too." Serian continued peacefully.

"What?" Seymour shouted.

Serian whirled the girl around to face him. In gentle movements, he placed his hands to her temples, and her shoulders slumped down immediately. Her mis-matched eyes were covered in dreamy haze, and she simply stood there as Serian continued.  
He closed his eyes, and the three were surrounded in a darkening light, and silence crept to cover them. A small, steadily strengthening voice echoed inside Seymour´s head.

"_Mother, look what kind of a staff daddy has! Isn´t it pretty?"_

"_Yes, honey. But don´t play with it. You know how daddy would get sad,  
if you broke his only summoner staff."_

"_Summoner? Whatcha´ "summoner"?"_

""_Summoner" is our hope and saviour, honey.  
You know, daddy would be so proud if you would become one as well, Yunie."  
_

More disturbing voices.

"_W-What do you mean, "daddy is gone"?"_

"_Kimahri is sorry, little one. Braska is not coming back, anymore."_

"…_not coming back? B-But…But…"_

"_Kimahri takes you to Besaid, now. Live with new friends. Remember father with warm."_

_…::: sob, sniffle :::…_

.......Memories of another…person?........

"_You have my heart, my soul and my love. Will you marry me, Lady Yuna?"_

"_I don´t understand you!"_

"_Allow Kimahri to die, and release him from his pain."_

"_You…wanted to see me?"_

"_Will you pity me now?"_

"_I´ll learn to control it. From within! I have all the time in the world! **Immortal." )  
**_

_**  
**_

He felt so ashamed. He was so…_ignorant. **Immortal? **Somehow, that word did not bear any meaning anymore._

When Seymour couldn´t listen to the memories anymore, he opened his eyes only to see something far more real happening. Serian had embraced Yuna.  
Serian smiled, as something dreamy, something ethereal started to ooze from her body. Pyreflies. _So many of them…_The pyreflies danced a small moment around her fragile body, before being sucked into Serian´s darkening frame.

It was over in a heartbeat.

Yuna lay in the ground, unmoving, like a doll. Serian was gasping for air, exhausted, but proud of himself. And Seymour…he was standing were he was for the last ten minutes, pale as death, unable to move.  
With stiff feet, he managed to come to her. He kneeled beside her, and cupped her face to his hands. Face, that was cold as death.

And Serian Honoré just….smiled.

"Is….Is she…Is she.." Seymour croaked. He sounded like toad with a swallowing problem.

"_…Dead?_ Maybe. Maybe not. Not really. Who knows? If she´s dead, that would suite you perfectly, won´t it?_  
"together, forever", _right? But no. I´m sorry to shatter your delusions of happiness´, Seymour." Serian smiled, without any mirth in his voice.  
"Do you think that I would be _happy? _I´ll betray her soon, and it´s ripping me apart! _Do you think I´m **happy?!"**_ Seymour hissed. For the first time, he was furious. Yuna would come back again soon, as dead, but it didn´t really matter. It would only mean that he would take his own life as well, in order to be with her. _Simple._

Serian furrowed his brows, and his mouth was pressed into a thin line.

"I somehow thought that power meant you more than a approval and fascination of a miserable seventeen-year old girl, who just thinks she´s something after she killed Sin. _Everybody could have done that. _And you….**_look at you. _**You were supposed to get the Final Aeon. **_You_** were supposed to defeat Sin! But you couldn´t do that. You couldn´t even die a worthy death. _You´re pathetic." _Serian hissed with venom, with hate and disgust choking Seymour in every word he muttered.

"**_Shut up! _**I know I am….but at least I would have _someone! _I don´t want to do this anymore. I quit. I´ve had enough.**_" _**Seymour yelled, and Serian looked murderous.

"You want to back off **_now?" _**He whispered, but soon his lips lifted into a mirthless smile. "You know….you don´t just "back off" from the promise you made to the Lord. If you do, you will pay. _She will pay." _Serian muttered, and Seymour looked at him in disgust.

"She is not really dead, you know. I merely borrowed her power. True, her soul is gone, but she is alive. Weak, but alive. And since her soul is _gone, _imagine what small efforts it would take to kill her? Surely you understand, that her memories are all intact, her vital signs are soon normal, but something is missing. _Her soul._ If she dies, she´ll disappear, and she won´t come back." Serian whispered.

Seymour paled. He blinked. He paled even more.

"Ahh,_ yes_. It gives a nice bump to the "together, forever" theory, no?" Serian smiled in triumph. Seymour was utterly confused. He was ashamed of himself. He was angry. He was sad. Mixing these emotions resulted in total chaos, and Seymour fell to his knees, staring with wide eyes to his rival and nemesis.

And Serian Honoré laughed. He laughed the high-pitched, fanatical laughter, far from joy, but even closer to insanity.

_

* * *

_

_  
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::_

_Do not stand at my grave and weep._

_I am not there, I do not sleep._

_I am a thousand winds that blow._

_I am the diamond glint on snow._

_I am the sun on ripened grain._

_I am the soothing, gentle rain._

_When you awake in morning hush,_

_I am the swift, uplifting rush_

_Of quiet birds in circled flight._

_I am the stars that shine at night._

_Do not stand at my grave and cry._

_I am not there. I did not die._


	16. Memento Mori

The Day I Died.

_Chapter 16. Memento Mori._

Are we nothing but breathing, moving masses of flesh and bone, with no soul to fulfill our deepest and most secret desires? Are we nothing than creatures of blood and the obeyers of our simplistic needs? If the answer was "yes", there would be no religion for mankind to seek refuge in from the cold world what surrounds them.

But in the world of Spira, the word "religion" has gained yet another, more concrete meaning.

_Here, soul is the body´s other half, the half that keeps us alive. It is our…life force, our chance to stay spiritually alive for years and years even after our body´s departure to Yevon and it´s return to the dust and shadows…_  
Her mind thought when racing it´s own insane race of wonder, awe and admire of the newly found fact of the spirit´s departure from the body and mind. Yuna felt cold.

She lies in the dark, stony ground, and her body is limp, dead and unburied.

But as her body is a doll´s corpse, her mind works feverishly. It thinks, it calculates, it remembers. A small thought lingers in the memories of her mind. _"Dead people can´t think." _Her mind is rejoicing for this fact. But another, bolder thought whispers coldly to her mind´s ear: _"…But in Spira they can."_

Her mind descends into misery, and Yuna feels how life has escaped her, how her own life betrayed her.

"_So, this is how death looks and feels like? Nothing but cold darkness? Must be **real** fun." _The voice of her thoughtsmumbles bitterly. Then the other, bolder thought interrupts it´s musings._ "How about opening your eyes and looking around, you twat?" _It spits the other inner voice to it´s spiritual eye.

"_Hey, that´s a **great **idea! Why don´t we just get up from this god-awful ground and start to do some sit-ups as well? All right, you smart-ass: when people die, they usually lie in the ground stiff as a wooden blank and cold as a fish. This body is NOT supposed to get up! And where is that good ol´ soul, anyway?" _The first inner voice whines, and the other inner voice rolls it´s spiritual eyes respectively.

"_Dunno. But I get the most oddest feeling that this body of ours keeps breathing even when our dear buddy of soul has vanished somewhere. Wanna try to move around a bit? Just to see if we really **are **dead?" _The voice lures.

"_Sure." _The other agrees. They both nod in agreement.

"_Alright. Now, open-"_

"- your eyes!" A male voice commands in the brink of hysteria, and Yuna´s mismatched eyes shoot wide open, and the furious shoulder shaking has helped to regain her consciousness as well. Suddenly, her whole field of vision is filled with the colours of indigo, violet and frosty lilac. It takes a long time for her to realize that a pair of lilac eyes are staring right to her own.

"Welcome back, lady Yuna." Seymour´s shaky voice reaches her ears, and Yuna smiles weakly back at him. "I had this weird dream…that my soul had simply wandered off somewhere and my own thoughts were bickering whether I was still alive or not…odd, isn´t it?" She whispers with weak, sore voice but Seymour only stares at her. He brushes aside a strand of her hair, and cups her cheek in his palm.

Yuna´s brows furrow more deeply and her smile dims as more silence is heard. Seymour does not answer.

"Seymour…what´s wrong?" Her voice quivers, and Seymour does not know whether to laugh or cry. The corner of his mouth keeps twitching; a sure sign that something is wrong."Yuna…I am so very _sorry. _I couldn´t stop him! N- Now you are lost and _it´s all my **fault." **_ He speaks, and his voice trembles with unseen troubles.  
"Seymour…?" Yuna whispers, and her eyes show immense worry for him_. "Hush now…**I´ll **make it all go away."_ Seymour whispers and touches her lips with his forefinger. His eyes are glossy and dimmed. His voice, as low as it is, is also feverish and Yuna cannot yet comprehend what has happened to him, _or _to her.

"We are in Bevelle again. This is a room where the infidels and criminals of upper class are kept…we ought to flee, as soon as possible." Seymour says, and Yuna stares at him in wonder. "…Seymour, why Serian didn´t kill me?" Her odd question startles him. Seymour glances at her pale face with a grim face.  
"…Because you have something what he wants. Spheres. He spoke to me about a purple sphere, and I remember how he said that it could ruin _his_ plans for a new, pure world. And that he had some others too, but they disappeared and you must have took them. He wants them back."

Yuna blinked. "A sphere…?" she mumbled.

"_Yes! _You…haven´t seen the purple one, have you? Have you shown it to anyone? _Anyone at all?"_ His question was disturbingly passionate, and Yuna furrowed her brows. "…No, I haven´t." She replies, and Seymour´s shoulders slumps down, and a small, relieved gasp escapes from him. Before she could inquire him further from the matter of that sphere, Seymour continues to speak. "Retrieving the spheres weren´t his only objective. Serian needs your power, Yuna. You are a summoner, and your father´s daughter. He demands you to send the souls of the dead in Guadosalam to Farplane. For what cause, I do not know…there are plenty of other apprentice summoners available. Why won´t he use _them?"_  
"I don´t know. But what are we going to do now?" Yuna asks, and Seymour smiles sadly at her. "It´s night now, and the door is firmly sealed. There´s no getting out. I tried it already…we have to spend our night together in this rat hole". He mumbles, and turns to look at the scenery from the barred window. For a high ranked nobleman as he was, the room _was_ a rat hole. In Yuna´s opinion, the room was quite nice, actually. A barred window let in the moonlight, a wide bed was in the corner and a wooden bed side table was it´s companion, but the room held nothing more. A perfect space to accommodate high-class criminals, after all.

Seymour stood silently in front of the window for a while, and his hands were hanging loosely in his sides, and his heavy sighs startled her.

_Something is troubling him, _Yuna knew, but she wasn´t sure what could have happened to make him so grim. She felt that her heart would burst from sheer emotion what possessed her now, and she needs to confess her thoughts to him.  
"Seymour…no matter what happens, I will still care deeply for you." Yuna whispers, but Seymour´s shoulders slumps down even lower and his head is still bowed in a gloomy fashion.  
"_Oh really? _You would…? Despise_ everything?" _He mumbles almost incoherently. "…I think not." A small whisper echoes in the room, and even Seymour is scared of his own cold remark. "What are you talking about?" Yuna whispers in fear and walks closer to Seymour. Suddenly he turns to face her and his face is twisted in such agony and pain that Yuna startles from the sight. "What´s wrong? Is there something….you want to tell me?" She asks in confusion, and Seymour smiles with effort.  
"With me…? N-No, there´s nothing to tell. After all, I have been honest with you…Yuna, can I-" He walks closer to the young woman. "Yuna, _can I kiss you?" _

Her whole being shines with surprise and anticipation as she nods faintly, and Seymour kisses her lips with such fierce, overwhelming passion that Yuna feels her breath being drawn out, and she backs out from his tight, possessing embrace.  
"Kiss my troubles away…_please." _ Seymour pleads with small, pained voice and she can do nothing but to look in those eyes, which were so dismal and dangerous in one moment and days later only affectionate and warm, at least to her.  
"Tell me what has happened." Yuna whispers to his ear, and almost instantly his long arms surround her petite frame, and he embraces her like never wanting to let go. "**_Not now_**…_you will see soon enough…" _Seymour whispers and chokes the last words into mere sobs of a desperate man. "Seymour…what are you-" Yuna begins, but she never gets the chance to finish when Seymour kisses her again. The kiss is long, full of love and still, it hid something else as well…a terrible emotion, an emotion to be kept in secrecy; in the darkness of Seymour´s own mind.

* * *

:

Laetitia Honoré was in deep sleep, when her husband silently sat down on her bed and gazed at the noble woman next to him. Serian could never understand why she loved him; she had been the only one who did, after all. _The only one…_He furrowed his brows to this thought, but it didn´t really matter to him. The only important thing was that she was _right here, _for him to love and cherish as his treasure and only hope.

Embarrassment burned his mind; Serian felt so ashamed to lose the control of his own mind in front of that half-breed summoner. But what Serian didn´t know, or rather, _didn´t realize, _that ever since his son passed away, it was constantly harder for him to get a grip of his own swirling, ill thoughts. It was constantly eating him away, and the boy in the mirror haunted his thoughts. The fear of splitting in two was now slowly consuming him.

After all, that boy wasn´t really **_him. _**Serian had a faint memory that the boy was somehow very important to him, but he had already forgotten _why_. He didn´t remember much of his own past, anyway. _Like it would matter, after all. _Serian thought with uncaring bitterness, but yet again the cross-breed summoner invaded his mind. _How come she looks so much like my love?_ He wondered, and glanced at his resting wife. He compared these two in his mind: they had the same cinnamon coloured hair, their porcelain skin seemed to radiant with life itself and they both were petite but yet so powerful.

_Was the half-breed my wife´s sister? That can´t be. She had no siblings. They can´t be related in any way…_This enigma puzzled his complex mind, and he was frustrated for not finding the answer he sought.  
But another puzzle had also remained in the hazy borders of his comprehension: how come the daughter of the High Summoner had been in his dreams for so long…ever since Sin perished? In his dream, they would always meet in ethereal meadow. And he would do things to her….terrible things. Things he had not done to anyone before the night of purification in Guadosalam. In the dreams, he had felt such unseen hatred and bitterness, and it frightened him. Not because he felt such things, no, but because he felt something else too, for her…he felt something _warm _and especially when he hurt her, then that feeling would only grow stronger.

_Was that a sign? An omen? _Serian thought grimly, and the answer dawned to him very soon, and his lilac eyes flew_ wide _open from realization._ Of course…the Binding. We are connected then. I feel her just as much she feels me. How simple._

The Binding was his own trait which he had mastered during his long years of loneliness. Others would call him as "the soul reaper" but to him it mattered not. Already as a young boy, Serian had discovered that he possessed great powers. He had always surpassed the other children in magic and at the age of fifteen he knew more spells than many adults did in their lifetime. Serian was furious when his father didn´t care about his son´s _excellence, _but as time crawled by and years made Serian more confident about his own abilities and tougher to endure his father´s constant belittling, he then decided that he didn´t need anyone´s approval. He could sought the mastery of magic on his own.

The time was his friend, and it was also on his side, as Serian decided to abandon his father´s teachings about those simple spells such as holy and ultima and create whole new spells of his own! He wanted to feel more stronger against other people´s verbal abuse, and he wanted them to _feel _his pain too. No ultima could make you feel such things as he had, and thus, the Bounding was created.

But when he unleashed his power for the first time, he understood something else as well. The Bounding didn´t only make you feel more confident about your own powers, and it didn´t only make others feel what you felt, it also brought you _real _power.

It made Serian more alive than ever before, and he knew that he devoured the power of the victims´ inner self, their souls. After he had bind his first soul to his own darker one, he realized that he could do things he had never done before.

The first target for his bitterness was a young summoner who had only received his first aeon, but Serian had felt no sympathy for the boy. They both knew and hated each other with fierce passion, after all. Immediately after the Binding, Serian felt something _inside_ of him.

He concentrated all of his powers to produce a _thing_ what flew in the air with it´s massive wings. The creature didn´t look like a bird nor any other animal he had seen.

Serian understood also that he could control the fiends action by his own _thoughts._

And how immensely delighted he was when he realized that the thing was actually _an aeon…_

But Serian still couldn´t understand why he had felt Yuna long before he had made contact with her soul. Thinking about her made him frustrated, and it made his head hurt. _Well, in the morning, everything will fall to their right places…Summoner Yuna will tell me everything I need to know, and return my spheres as well. I demand it._ With this thought, he laid down right next to his lover and mistress, shutting his eyes. He lie still as dead, and dreamt of the mentally wounded little boy in the mirror, who was his past, present and future.

* * *

:

The sun was climbing up to the gloomy horizon arduously, when Yuna´s former guardians entered Spira´s capital city, Bevelle.

Wakka, Lulu and Rikku decided to immediately seek for Yuna after they saw the spheres. They headed straight to the mansion of the Maesters, and the journey was the easiest part. Now they needed to get into the building which seemed to gain more looks of a fortress than a mansion; soldiers clothed in dark seemed to be guarding every single square inch of the building.

"How are we going to get in?" Rikku whispered as they peeked from the nearest corner to the entrance. "I´d say we bust in." Wakka grumped, and Lulu glared him with a look that could kill a grown Behemoth. "Wakka, you know that you are dear to me and such, but respectively, _have you lost your mind? _Or didn´t you have such thing at all?" She grumbled right back at him, and Wakka shifted his weight from one foot to other in embarrassment. "Well, but ya know, Lu…it´s the only thing I could come up with…" He muttered, and Lulu glared at him. "Indeed." she replied frostily.

"Well, guys, the only chance for us to get in there would be _infiltration._" Rikku whispered with a sly look on her face. "Meaning?" Lulu cocked her eyebrow. "Well, isn´t it simple? We´ll surprise few soldiers from behind with your clever flare spells, Lulu (I bet they´d be _real_ happy about it) and then we will just simply snatch their clothes and get in as the soldiers! Clever, eh?" Rikku smiled, and everyone agreed.

"That´s a brilliant plan, kiddo. Let´s go!" Wakka beemed, and so they began their sneaky way to the entrance.

* * *

:  
:

The first rays of the burning sun fell on to Seymour´s face and warmed his bare chest. He lazily stretched in the messy bed, and glanced at Yuna who was still asleep beside him. He smiled at her; she looked like a small child as she slept.

Seymour felt so…complete. He felt so _right _being with her, and nothing could ever change his feelings towards her. He smiled. He smiled at everything; for her beauty, for him, for because he lies so close to her, for because he loves her, for because…_wait. Do I really love her? If I do…then why am I…so sad?" _ Seymour remembered again what he must do soon. With a heavy mind, he plants a soft kiss on her lips and whispers something so quietly to her ear: _"I love you."_

Yuna didn´t hear what Seymour had said. She was asleep, but her mind was somewhere else. She was talking to a tall, dark haired man, and the man said something important to her, but she didn´t know what. But this time, there were no stabbing or pain; it was something else…She opened her eyes slowly, and met Seymour´s eyes.

_ It was **him.**_

For a moment, the two lovers stared to each other´s eyes, with no intention to never avert their gaze from each other. Their blissful moment was however ruthlessly disturbed, when the Lord´s soldiers made their presence known with a loud bang on the door.

"The Lord is here. Get dressed, you have ten minutes." The soldier grunted with annoyance, and they both stirred to reality. Yuna and Seymour both put their clothes on with a haste, as they heard how the sounds of numerous footsteps approached their cell. Yuna didn´t pay attention to it, though. Something else troubled her. She could feel something _inside of her._ She could feel how a strange feeling, alien to her, pounded in her heart and she didn´t know why. But she knew that the feeling wasn´t _hers_. "Seymour…my chest _hurts." _She whispered in wonder, and he glanced at him in worry. "I feel **him **in_ me." _She whispered with strained voice, and Seymour paled._ "What are you-" _But Seymour never got the chance to finish.

The door opened, and Seymour gave Yuna´s hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance. They both entered the hallway, and there they were greeted with the sight of five figures.

Four Inquisitors stared at the two trough their masks, and the fifth figure, the tallest of them all, had a look of cold determination.

"Why, good morning." Serian said dryly, and eyed Yuna. "I suppose that you haven´t forgotten your duties, summoner?" He asked with cool courtesy, and Yuna nodded. "Ah. Splendid." He smiled but his smile dulled a little, when he saw Yuna´s expression. "I will not have anything to do with you." She muttered with weak voice.

"_You will." _He hissed, and took a step closer to her_. **"You will. **_And you ought to remember who has the control over your soul as well, _my lady."_

Yuna´s eyes widened from confusion from these news, and Serian eyed her with grim amusement. _"Don´t tell me you didn´t know_…were you unconscious the whole time? Didn´t _he _tell you?" Serian glanced at Seymour, who stared into the distance with his mouth in a thin, nervous line. Yuna was silent for a long, calculating moment, and shook her head.  
"Oh. I really do pity you then. It really is so sad when your friends _don´t tell you the truth, _isn´t it?" Serian smirked with a cold voice, and glanced at Seymour who had a look of pure terror on his face.

"Please refrain your words, my lord. I trust my friends with my life, and they´ll do the same. There´s no secrets between us." Yuna said firmly, and Serian only lifted his brows in amazement. _"Really? _How…admirable. Well, we have more than enough time soon in private to discuss about this. But now: Come. The Unsent cannot wait for long." Serian said casually, like the thought didn´t disturb him at all.

So, with declining and scared thoughts, the young summoner and the Guado Maester began their journey back to the dead city of Guadosalam in the Lord´s wake.

Carriages were waiting for them in the outside, and they both climbed onto the same cabin. Soon after, a tall Inquisitor entered the cabin as well, shutting the door behind him.  
Few minutes of uncomfortable silence was all what could be sensed in the small cabin before the carriages started to move. After a moment of taciturnity, the Inquisitor moved uncomfortably in his seat and tilted his hooded head to the side.

" I didn´t believe you got the guts to come back to the world of the living, Maester." The hooded and masked man coolly stated and continued to observe the blue haired mixture of ex-world destroying wannabe maniac and a sentimental romantic in front of him. "I didn´t either." The ex-Maester said dryly, and glanced at the sights from the window. "After all what you did to Yuna, I mean you even married her, and then you just decided to just sacrifice her in order to become the next Sin to destroy the world and kill everyone. I should give you a beating for what you did. Or…something." The man continued, and Seymour lifted his eyes to him and stared at the man with eyes wide open. "Excuse me?"

"Yea, you know brudda, I ain´t just gonna sit by and watch as you try to do the same thing again, ya hear?" The Inquisitor blurted with overheated feelings, and now it was Yuna´s turn to be _really _interested. _"…Wakka? _Is that you!" Yuna almost cried aloud but managed to stifle her surprise to lower decibels.

The man took his mask off, and a broad smile covered entirely his face.

"Well, Yunie, I thought you liked company." Wakka smirked, and his smile competed with Yuna´s broad grin. Seymour simply stared at the man with his mouth slightly open in complete silence, but neither of them noticed him.

"It´s so good to see you, Yuna. We have all been worried sick when we didn´t know where you were! We don´t have much time before we arrive to Guadosalam, so we have to keep the news short. Yuna- be very careful when you´re around that Lord and even careful when you are around _that_-" Wakka glared at the Guado with resentment, and Seymour calmly looked straight back at him with his cool, calculating eyes, although his mind was storming.

"Wakka, I have to tell you something, and I pray that you believe me! Seymour is…a good friend and he´s sorry for what he did. He sees his faults, and I don´t blame him…I sort of understand him." Yuna whispers, and now it´s Wakka´s turn to look absolutely confused. He forgets to shut his mouth for a moment, and when he has gotten hold of his body´s functions again, he looks graver than the Grim Reaper himself.  
""You sort of understand him"! What is this? "He´s _really _sorry for what he did, and he never does it again. I promise."? How can you even think that you can trust him! The man´s a lying, double faced son of a-" Wakka rolls on, but is interrupted by Seymour´s cool, yet calm voice. " I _prefer_ if you would speak directly to me, sir."

"I´m sorry, _Maester_ Seymour, but I don´t think that I quite comprehend everything yet-"

"**_That_** would not be the first time…"

"_You_ keep it quiet, brudda!"

…_And on they went._

"Please, Wakka, you have to understand. Seymour is helping me to aid the people of Spira by stopping Serian, the Lord, from destroying every cross-breed from the world. Isn´t it worthy enough for us all to work together and forget our differences?" Yuna asked if frustration, and Wakka finally agreed to shut up. "Well…I _guess _it is…" He mumbled, and Yuna nodded.

"Fine, let´s be all buddy-buddy for now. But if that Seymour **_ever _**does something where you´ll suffer, Yuna, and I will-" Wakka grunted in deep suspicion, but Yuna cut in. "Wakka, **_NO."_**

"Okay, fine…Fine!" He snapped, but soon continued, with lighter voice. "Y´know, I´ll be watching you two the whole time. No one will try to hurt you, Yuna. But I suggest that you do one thing: when Serian has gotten what he wants and you have done what you had to, you´ll run away in to the woods when you are returning to the carriages." He whispers, and Seymour raised a brow. "You mean we flee? Isn´t that a _little _risky?" The Guado whispers in doubt, but Wakka cuts in. "Yea, of course it is. But I don´t think that staying around with those folks would be so much safer, ya?"

"Wakka is right. We must get away before Serian thinks up some plan to get us all killed." Yuna whispered hastily and turned to look at Seymour. "Seymour, how about you? Have you gained your powers back?" She asked with curiosity, and he nodded faintly. " They´ll come back gradually…I can do now only simple spells, firagas and such, but I doubt if I´ll ever get my aeon back…I´m still pretty useless to you, Yuna." He mumbled and sighed heavily.

For a man like what he was, power was everything, and it was extremely frustrating to stand without any magic to make him stronger.

"Seymour, don´t say that! You are never useless…not to me, not to _anyone!" _Yuna whispered softly, and Seymour smiled at her. "Yuna….do you still have your aeons?" He asked, and she shook her head. "No…I Sent them to Farplane after Sin was destroyed, but I do have my magic! Holy would be the right answer to our time of need…O-Oh!" She whispered and her eyes flew wide open.

"What´s wrong, Yuna?" Wakka cut in.

"I…I can´t…I can´t do magic! I don´t know how!" She whispered in horror, and Seymour leaned forward in confusion. "Yuna…what are you talking about?" He eyed her in worry, but Yuna only shook her head sadly. "I don´t know what _he _did to me, but I can´t do any magic at all…not anymore." She whispered with glossy eyes. Nobody had the chance to say anything, as the carriages came to a halt. Wakka put his mask back on hastily, and the three walked out.

"Can you see, summoner Yuna? Those creatures are soon to be gone, and you will help them to be saved! You should be happy that they are soon to be in better place." Serian´s anticipating voice rang loud in the empty city. The bodies of the Guado were lined up in the ground, and Yuna could feel their souls reaching still out to life from their dead bodies. She took a step forward to meet Serian´s cold gaze. However, the Lord stood with his back turned to them, observing the lines of the dead.

"What use do you have for me if you insist the dead to be Sent to Farplane? Surely any other summoner could do that. I don´t understand why you want them to be Sent to the Farplane, since you hated them so much." Yuna asked in sad voice, and Serian turned to meet her eyes with his own lilac ones wide from surprise.

"_Oh, I do not recall that I have said anything about sending them to **Farplane,** my lady."_

_

* * *

_:

_MEMENTO MORI: Memento for your mortality; No one lives forever. _

A/N: Whew. A new chapter /finally/ finished. I´m so sorry to let you all wait…My inspiration had vanished into thin air, you see.

These chappies of mine are really getting _way_ too long! I hope that you have enough strength to read them trough…anyway, 59 reviews already! Thank you all so much!

But _who_ is going to be the 60th reviewer, hmm? Review my story, and I luff you all forever. ; )


	17. Death and Rebirth

The Day I Died.

_Chapter 17. Death and rebirth.  
_

Serian, clearly aware of the restless atmosphere around him, brushed the fear-stroked confusion away with his cold, yet so loving smile. He watched the scenery around him in grim satisfaction while tasting the fear with his lips. Seymour, the half-blooded ex-Maester, was staring at the Lord with confusion, and he returned the gaze with utmost loathing. Since the half-blood´s face was so revolting for a pure-blooded, noble man as he was, Serian soon turned his interest to the young woman before him. Curiously, like a prying child, he observed the Summoner´s expression with his head tucked slightly on the side. The woman´s face was pale but her eyes hold a tingle of wonder and fearless determination. Yuna was confused, but not scared; she seemed to be the only one who´s courage had not betrayed her.

"Yes, that is correct, summoner. " Serian said, now like a teacher observing his naïve pupil. Yuna furrowed her brows, and Serian let a ghost of a smile play in his lips once again. "The Guado must not be Sent to Farplane. After all, we cannot be so _cruel_ to let their memory perish…" Serian, despite his now crumbling mind, whispered the words to the cold air in false amusement, and few Inquisitors around him chuckled.

Before Yuna could ask any questions, Serian spoke again with authority. "Do what you came to do, summoner. Failure is not an option." He then commanded her to come closer to him with a wave of his gloved hand. Serian, already knowing well that Yuna would not refuse, held her staff in his outreached hands. Their bargain was simple: either she would perform the Sending, or she would witness the death of her friend. For her, the former option became quite the better choice.

Yuna walked slowly to Serian, and he now held her staff closer to himself, forcing her to take that last step right in front of him. She reached her hands to take her summoner´s staff, but Serian didn´t release his firm grip from the weapon. Questioningly, she lifted her determined eyes to meet his, and that fleeting moment was all what it took to convince Serian that she would not fail. She would not fail, not even in death, and he knew that he would meet her in battle someday. The small voice in his mind then grimly added to this, "_preferably soon." _With this thought, Serian let go of the staff, and with averted eyes, he took a step back.

"Go on." The Inquisitor next to her commanded, and with mixed emotions, Yuna lifted her staff. The moment froze the observers of this ancient ritual. Yuna´s Nirvana rose and fell, and with soundless music, she danced in the tune of the cycle of death. The staff continued to swirl in the air like the Grim´s reaper, as the souls of the dead began their journey out of their mortal shells. They now swirled in the still air around her, trapping her in their ethereal cocoon.

Darkness fell. Pyreflies should have already vanished, but they continued their dance around their liberator, as if not yet wanting to be freed from their earthly lives.

Yuna stopped her dance, watching in terrified silence as the pyreflies continued to swirl around her restlessly. In the shadows, Seymour observed in silence how Serian stepped to the souls´ midst. Seymour watched how he calmly, almost lovingly opened his arms and lifted his face to meet the darkness above him. The pyreflies halted their restless movement, and fled away from the summoner and began to swirl around the Lord. Slowly, each soul now dissolved within Serian and he closed his eyes and took in with pleasure, with a joyous smile, the first taste of his new power.

* * *

:

"I mean, _man, _that guy had the guts of pulling that stunt off, all by himself!"

"Oh, be quiet, Rikku. I´m sure that Wakka knew what he was doing."

"Oh yeah? You _really_ think so? Then why did we have to travel all the way back to Luca without him?"

"Then who is going to save Yuna, Rikku? Wakka told us that something very serious was going on in Bevelle, and by looking at the Spira today, I would say that that little hunch of his was right. And it takes no fortune-teller to say that something really, really bad will happen soon, if we don´t _hurry!" _Lulu breathed. It was beautiful day, and the sun shined warmly on them. Not caring about the fine weather, Rikku glanced at the older woman once and then shrugged her shoulders.

"But I don´t see any reason to go to Luca….Yuna is in Bevelle, remember? And _she needs our help!" _Rikku stopped her walk, and Lulu sighed in frustration.

"Oh, fine. I´ll explain it for you, for the last time. Remember when we saw that woman who looked so much like Yuna, in Besaid? She told us that she was the wife of this new lord, and her story seemed so right that we know that she is speaking the truth…and there were the spheres to prove her story´s worth. Now, we both know that something bad is going to happen if those cloaked clowns continue to terrorize normal people, and we have to stop them. That´s what we decided, remember? Well, that lady told us that Yuna was going to be executed soon when her work was done, and we can´t stop that if we will just bark in." Rikku decided to object to this, but before she got the chance to open her mouth, Lulu continued.

"I _know_, Rikku. Wakka is there to watch over her, but he can´t do much anything else. Smuggling her out of there is out the question, because Bevelle seems to be crowded with guards nowadays….There´s no way that those two would get away without being detected! _But, _Wakka once talked about "barking into Bevelle", remember? Well, you know what Rikku? We´re going to do just that." Lulu had a small smile in her lips, and Rikku stared at her in disbelief. "We´re doing _what?"_

"Yes. That lady also told us that many people are already fed up and angry about the Inquisition and their terror, so they have started to gather some resistance….And think about it. It has been just less than a month after Sin was defeated and this new faction rose! Well, I think that Mrs. Honoré is also getting rather frustrated with all this nasty business, and in secret, she has started to gain contacts with the underground movement to finally put an end to the Inquisition Faction. I don´t know her real motives, though. She seems to love her husband so much….why would she help us to destroy him?" Lulu´s sentence silenced as her thoughts trailed off into new paths, but Rikku was already getting anxious. "Yeah, well, we gotta save Yunie, _remember? _What are we gonna do now?" She whispered with spiral eyes wide, and Lulu snapped back to reality. "The lady Honoré also told us that the main base for these people who oppose this new Faction is in Luca. But they are hiding underground, so we have to find them first." Lulu said, and Rikku nodded in agreement. "And then we collect the people together, march with them into Bevelle and take over the city? _Sweet! _Just my kind of game, that is! But isn´t it a bit more, err, _un-discreet _compared to the smuggling-Yuna-out-plan? I mean, isn´t that plan a bit more….likely to succeed? If we just bark in there with a lot of people, it´s gonna be difficult with all those soldiers around…..And how does that lady know all this? It may be a plot to get us all, you know." Rikku chirped, and Lulu furrowed her brows. "That´s true, but we don´t have any other choice. That Lady wants us to invade the whole city with the resisters, because if we don´t, it´s only going to get worse in there. We have to do this. It seems really odd, but we must continue our plans, because if we don´t, Yuna will suffer, and undoubtedly, so will the rest of Spira, thanks to that close-minded, racist Guado and Al Bhed-hater of a "Lord". Let´s go, Rikku! We don´t have much time left!" Before she managed to end her sentence, they both sprinted their chocobos into full speed. Fortunately, with chocobos they were a lot faster, but the journey still took so much of their valuable time.

Hopefully not too much.

* * *

: 

Silence echoed in the surrounding darkness for a long moment before Serian opened his eyes again. He savoured the moment when he saw things which only he was entitled to see. Images, memories and dreams clouded his darkening mind, and he held those memories close in the grip of his mind, as he slowly, almost regretfully, returned to the world of the living. His eyes were blank, seeing something others did not, something what had happened years ago. And when Yuna finally gasped from shock and wonder, he averted his violet eyes to meet hers.

"_Truly, they are in a better place now." _Was all what he whispered, as he turned to leave. Not one dared to object his intentions of departure back to Bevelle, since they were too busy of gaping in awe and fear of his feat. "I believe that we are now ready." He now said, louder, as he turned back and gestured the party´s departure as well.

"You shouldn´t have done that. _It was wrong!" _A quiet, yet determined voice rang in the opening, sounding almost as whispering, but the speaker knew very well that the words would be heard, so intense the petrified silence was.

"What was that? _Who said that!" _Serian slashed with eyes wide from rage, and everyone turned to stare at the young Summoner who had a mixed look of hatred and fear in her face. Yuna nodded and continued. "You may think yourself as some kind of "liberator" or "saviour", but don´t you see?" After a moment of hesitation, she drew in a shaky breath and continued, "You´re nothing more than a pathetic murderer. That what´s you are. _Nothing _more. Those people had lives as well, you know? They had children, love, happiness, _hope! _And -- And you just took all of those things away, just like that…how could you do that?" Yuna whispered with breaking voice, all the while trying hard not to show any more signs of emotion to this cold man. But at the moment, her voice was the only voice of remorse in the opening, and he stared at her for a long moment, eyes blazing, and Yuna felt like fainting from the sheer look on his face. Oddly, Serian simply gestured others to leave the two of them with a small flick of his gloved hand. After a small moment of hesitation, the soldiers did leave. Only Seymour, Serian and Yuna still stood in their places, but Seymour was only an odd outsider in this battle of the wills.

"_Please, repeat what you just said._" Serian whispered in a dangerous, low tone, with his face pale and hands shaking. Yuna gathered all of his courage. "How could you do that?" Was all she whispered, and Serian slowly, step by step, walked closer to her. "How could I do that, you ask?" Still, his voice was barely a whisper as he walked closer to the girl. "I did it because…." Serian took a step closer. "…the likes of _them_…." another step. He was now right in front of her. _"…do not deserve to live."_ He breathed with eyes wide, and Yuna gasped as she saw how empty his eyes were. No regret, no remorse, not even hatred. Only the strong will to do..._right._ Despite her increasing horror, she decided to speak. "How can you say that? They were people too! You can´t judge who can live and who must die! They deserve to live just as we all do!" She spoke trough her sobs, but Serian´s expression did not flinch as he whispered_. "No." _

Yuna startled. "What?"

Serian look at her in cold determination. "No." He said again, louder. "They are not people. They are things. _Beasts! _They have no right to live. They must be destroyed! And only when those creatures are gone, only then can Spira be saved. The Guado will drag us all down with them if I don´t do what I´m destined to. I say this again, and for the last time, do not question me: _I am saving Spira. _When this is done, the people will love me. _And my son _--" He stopped in mid of his speech, and turned to gaze something with an expression which was close to despair. "…._I_…have I already forgotten? Have I forgotten my promise to him?" He whispered to himself, wondering something. "**NO. **How could I forget? I´m the Lord Serian Honoré, the only ruling Maester of Spira, I can´t just forget something. No_. I´m Serian. _Serian Honoré -- I´m the one who people will love! I will save them! I--" He continued to speak very fast, like he was trying to speak himself over to do something, like he was persuading _himself, _but Yuna had enough. She didn´t want him to continue his lies.

"_You did forget." _Was all what she said, and Serian turned to look at her in confusion.

"You did forget." She repeated, her mouth in a small, sad smile, but Serian didn´t still quite understand how she would know what he meant. _"I know." _She whispered, and these words possessed immense impact on Serian. He gasped and took a small step back, while shaking his head from left to right, as trying to repel the memories away which now arose from the depths of his suppressed conscience. He had tried to bury them, suppress them for so long, and he had ultimately forgotten.

Yuna took a step closer to him. "I saw the spheres_. I know who you are." _

Serian now backed away a little more, with a look of utter confusion and fear in his eyes. "But you don´t understand! **_I´m _**Serian _Honoré. " _ Yuna averted her eyes, while shaking her head slowly. _"No. _Even your name is not true. Nothing of you is true. Do you see now? _You have forgotten who you are." _She whispered, and calmly watched as Serian covered his face with his gloved, shaking hands, trying to suppress that single, tired sob, and his shame with it.  
"That name is false, we both know it. How did you manage to change it? How did you do all that?" She questioned him harshly, and Serian choked his tears back, as he fell to his knees, his hands still sheltering his fragile face. "You´ve changed so much. _How did you do it?"_ Yuna whispered, she spoke in unforgiving, harsh tone as she circled around him, "these reasons you give to the people in order to murder them are false. You keep lying. You even lied to your own _wife!" _Her voice steadily rose into higher tone, and as her tone rose, so did Serian. His face looked so tired, so worn out, but still he rose up from his misery, and had now a look of defiance. After regaining his composure, he then calmly spoke. "Oh, believe me, my wife knows very well what I am. _You_ know as well. That´s why I can´t let you leave. You must die." He said in calm, cold manner, and Seymour now glanced the two in confusion. "What are you talking about? What is going on?" Seymour asked in utter confusion, but Serian didn´t even bother to glance in his way.

He already knew that Seymour didn´t know anything, and it was for the best for the matters to stay that way. But Yuna startled, and looked at Seymour in disbelief. "You…don´t know? How is it possible that you _don´t know? _you were the Maester of Yevon, of course you know!" Seymour was still confused, but after a moment of feverish thinking, his eyes widened from disbelief. "The strict rule which prohibited me to talk about the Honoré family lineage during the time my father was the Maester of Yevon….or how I was forbidden to investigate the reason why Commodus Honoré wanted Serian´s son to be executed….why his son was never allowed to be seen in public…No. _It can´t be. _It just can´t be! Yuna, he´s not--" He looked at Yuna in utter disbelief, and then turned, in very non-aristocratic way, to gape at Serian. "Serian, you are not….are you…?" Seymour whispered, and stared at Serian with his eyes wide from disbelief.

"SHUT UP!" Serian barked so loud, that even Seymour startled from the furious tone, but as he looked at him, he understood in the second. "_Shut up, shut up, **SHUT UP!" **_Serian yelled, in fierce rage and fear, "Do not _dare_ to say it! You are not worthy of uttering my true name!" He then swiftly strolled closer to Seymour and took his left wrist in his tight, painful grip. The two men stared into each other´s eyes, and Seymour saw rage, and as the other man stared into his half-brother´s eyes, he saw _fear. _In that moment Serian knew he would win. The time was his.

He cast a joyous smile to his opponent, and embraced Seymour like he´d be his full-blooded brother. He whispered something into his ear. "It is time for me to take your life, traitor. I have no more use for you. The time is mine now. It´s _mine_ to spent."

He then looked at his half-brother in the face, still smiling, as he drew his silver dagger into the light from the darkness of his black robes. With louder voice, with a glimpse of almost-affection in his words, he then spoke, for the last time, to Seymour.

"Embrace your death, _brother."_

Serian lunged the cold dagger into Seymor´s chest with terrible power, and as he tried to pull away from his embrace,eyes wide from surprise, Serian only pushed the dagger deeper. With content smile, he planted a soft kiss on his half-brother´s cheek and let go. Seymour fell to his knees, keeping his eyes firmly fixed in the smiling, content face of Serian, his half-blooded brother, until the pain and the loss of blood took stronger hold of him, and he succumbed into welcoming darkness.

Serian, watching as his rival was slowly giving up on life, cleansed his dagger which shine was shimmered by the thick, dark blood of the half-Guado, in the hem of his black cloak. "What a petty fool you were. You honestly thought that your little plays could go unnoticed, right behind my back? That you could actually _control _Sin? Laughable. I wonder now, why my father didn´t kill you right when you were born, so that we all would have been saved from all this trouble….Strike them when they´re young, I say. Not so much resisting then. Well, your death means the fulfilment of the revenge I swore when your father killed my son. You should be glad, actually. Since you _are_ the last Guado, I will now welcome the new Spira into my arms." He whispered, but his smile vanished, as he kept talking to the withering ex-Maester with a voice which now faltered, if only briefly.

"I _told_ you not to say my past name aloud. I _was _Serian Guado, but that part of me is now dead. And will _always_ remain so. I am Serian Honoré." He nodded his brother a subtle farewell, took a step back, and allowed Yuna to rush to her lover´s side.

Seeing as Yuna would not run away, as she wouldn´t even try it, Serian then left and send a soldier to get her back to Bevelle.

Yuna already heard the soldier´s footsteps behind her, but she couldn´t let go of Seymour. She saw as thick, dark blood kept pouring out of the deep wound from his chest, and with every heart´s beat, Seymour was closer to his end. His face paled with every moment, and he was gasping for air with great effort, as his lungs gradually filled with his own blood. He was dying, and out of desperation, Yuna lifted his head to her lap and embraced him while sobbing pitifully into his hair. _Yuna just wouldn´t let go. _All what she could do was to cover the wound with her hands, but of course, that didn´t do much to help him. Magic didn´t do anything, because her powers had already died, and she couldn´t allow her lover to die because of her inability to cast any decent spell. Seymour closed his eyes, and despite her cries, he didn´t open them anymore.

Yuna was now panicking, and when the bleeding just _wouldn´t stop_, she started to cry and sob something incoherent, while Seymour seemed to feel her efforts, he opened his eyes with great effort and stared at Yuna in his half-conscious state. "Yuna, you don't--you don't need to do that…I´ll die and…_and_…you can live, _see? _It really is not so bad-- I should have done this a long time ago….It´s like…l-like falling asleep--" He whispered, and although blood sprinkled from his mouth, he smiled. Yuna gasped with eyes wide, trying hard not to cry anymore like a child.

"N-No! Don´t talk like that! Don´t even dare to talk like that! _Shut up! _I´m not going to lose you too.We--I…I will get you out of here-- I will help you!" She sobbed, and tried desperately to end the bleeding with her hands, but the soldier, who was now standing behind her, had now enough of drama, and decided to end the scene. "Enough. He´s good as dead. Now, let go, you have to go to Master´s side. He has requested your presence." He said, but Yuna pressed into Seymour´s body even harder, embracing him with all of her might.

"N-no, please! Please, help him! Please, I´ll do anything if you will just help him!" She cried and she wept, and the Inquisitor didn´t listen. He prepared to pry that annoying, sobbing wench off of the dying half-blood by grabbing the summoner by her shoulders. "You can join him…_or you can join the Lord! _Which will it be?" He murmured while with great effort tried to yank her off. Then Yuna, finally lifting her reddened eyes away from the pale visage of Seymour, spoke furiously to the soldier. "You won´t help him, then? Fine then! _Fine! _I´ll join him then…." she whispered, and grabbed the soldier´s shining dagger which was fastened to his belt as his secondary weapon. She pressed the dagger close to her chest, preparing to press the blade deeper._  
"_Will you help him now, or do I have to kill myself? I know that the Lord wouldn´t be quite _happy _if you managed to kill his prized Summoner, you know…" She added darkly, and the Inquisitor halted his movements in the second, and glanced at the woman with distaste. "You blackmailing little whor--" But before he managed to continue his cursing, Yuna pressed the dagger little deeper, so that blood started to ooze trough her white shirt. The man startled and seemed quite scared. "Okay, okay, _fine! _I know some healing magic…I´ll use it on him…but don´t do anything stupid, you hear me, girl? The Master don´t want to see you die. Yet." He whispered quickly, and his face was pale. Yuna rose from his way, but kept the dagger still close her heart, pressed to her chest, just in case. The man performed a simple cure-spell, which was just enough to close his wound, but it did not do anything about the huge loss of blood. Seymour was still unconscious, and the soldier grumbled in dissatisfaction. "You know, if the Lord knows that I brought that man back to life, we´re both dead. Don´t go talking to _anyone _that he´s alive. Pretend that he isn´t, so we´re both safe. Understand?" The man barked, and Yuna nodded. "Better leave him here. So that he won´t be spotted when he wakes up…now, let´s get going. The Lord is waiting for you." The man added, and gestured the girl to let go of the dagger. She did so, but didn´t even try to wipe out her tears. She felt awful about leaving him there, to lie in the bloodied ground like the other corpses. But she did manage to notice that the bloodied, messy _thing _she was wearing now seemed more like the apron for a butcher, not a white top of a Summoner. "You have to give me your cloak….my shirt is bloody and a mess." Yuna whispered, but the soldier shook his head. "No. He wouldn´t recognise that that blood is yours, since you were hugging that corpse so tight that you swam in it. Now, start moving already." He grunted, and Yuna glanced at Seymour one last time before walking away.

Her face was pale, solemn and serious, when she walked slowly back to Serian, who was already waiting for her. _"With head bowed, tail between her legs…returning back to her master…like a dog…" _Yuna thought bitterly, and for the first time in her life, she felt hatred so strong that she wanted to kill that man who murdered all those people. _"Wouldn´t it be justified if I killed him? Of course it would be. He should just _**die!**_" _Yuna whispered her last word aloud, and she startled from it´s tone. Cold shivers ran trough her body. "_I really meant it. I have never wanted this before…not even when Seymour…No. Don´t think about it. Don´t let that awful feeling get to you…You´re better than that." _ So, with a little more confidence guiding her way, Yuna lifted her head up, but kept her dignified, solemn expression glued to her face. And she did not abandon it, not even when Serian _knew_ what she was thinking.

"You feel it now, don´t you? You want to push that dagger into _my_ chest, isn´t that right? _Hatred…" _He said slowly, savouring the taste of the word, "at last, you have learned what it is to hate someone. _You are now complete." _Serian said, while watching her in grim amusement. "What do you mean?" Yuna hissed, but Serian didn´t answer. He simply smiled that devilish smile of his, and nodded her to walk with him to the carriages.

"Oh, you´ll find out soon. But you really should be happy, summoner Yuna. You´ll be executed by tomorrow! _Isn´t that fun?_  
And I also did you a favour by killing that mockery of a Maester…so that his fate as a traitor would be the most…painful one. That purple sphere sure is a fine example of his treachery. Were you not _disappointed _with him when you saw that sphere?" He questioned, but Yuna just furrowed her brows. "Again, Serian, what do you mean by that?" She snapped coolly, all the while trying not to sound so curious, but Serian merely lifted his brows. "You do not know? How is it possible that _you do not know? _Didn´t you watch that sphere at all?" He asked with fierce tone, but her oblivious expression showed her ignorance. "I lost it before I decided to watch it. What was it about?" She then quietly added, like speaking to herself, "like anything about that sphere´s content would be true. Seymour would not do anything behind my back."

She earned nothing but a mocking "humph" by the Lord with her trusting words, and she decided to ignore his disrespect for the ex-Maester.

But now, Serian´s face grew dark and threatening, as he spoke again.

"And about what you said to me earlier, Summoner Yuna…I hope that you do not whisper a word about it to _anyone. _If you do, I would be forced to act with the utmost…severity against you. And I trust that you do not want that to happen, do you?" He then added with a grim humour, "and we would be very unhappy then, _wouldn´t we?" _Yuna had enough of him, and calmly, almost proudly she lifted her chin up and spoke. "I know what you are. It will be only a matter of time before they will find out about you."

"Oh, but I do not think so. The only proofs about my…._heritage_… are in those spheres, and you know where they are. And you will tell me where they are." He whispered, but Yuna only smiled. "I don´t have them anymore. I gave them away."

Serian paled. "You _lie._"

"No, no I don´t. I wanted them to be in a safe place in the case something like _this _would happen. I gave them away." She chirped in half amusement, half-furious tone.

Serian´s face grew even more darker if possible, and with a tense, anticipating voice, he spoke again. "To whom did you gave them to?"

Yuna only smiled, leaned more closer to him and whispered. "To your wife. She forwarded them for _everyone _to see_." _ Serian gulped, and stared at her in disbelief. "She would not do that. _Ever." _Serian whispered with a hint of fear in his tone, and Yuna´s innocent smile grew into more devilish one. "But she did."

"She loves me." He whispered with a voice which now faltered for a brief moment, but then he continued in more usual manner. "Talk something like that _ever _again, and I will hand you over to my men who tend to be rather…lonely…at times." He took a strong hold of her wrist, while watching her reaction in anger. "…They´ll have a _fine _time ravaging your slender body." He continued gravely, and saw how this threat sinked into her. He let go off her hand, while eyeing her with unreadable expression. "I now see what makes you so very different from my wife. You have courage, but you are also very foolish. Do not anger me again."

"I have found that extremely difficult, _sir." _Yuna spat, and they both stared at each other in the eye for a fleeting moment. Then it was Serian´s time to speak with faltering voice, "I have changed my mind. You are not to be executed yet. I´ll let you live for another day to see what lies ahead in your future."

"And what kind of an future would that be?" Yuna questioned in bitter hatred, and Serian looked at her with a mystical smile in his lips. _"A…pleasant one."_

Silence echoed in the opening, and as they continued their controversy, ominous clouds darkened the sky which was sealed with the upper branches of the trees of ancient Guadosalam. No matter how dense the branches were, rain sometimes did find their way into the city, and so it was in this case as well. With a loud grumbling of thunder, the skies opened up and like it was Spira´s blessing for complete erasing of a culture which had lingered for well over a millenia, heavy rain cleansed the vanished city from blood. So laid Seymour, the only one of his kind, in the ground while the rain was merciful enough to cleanse him from all the tainting blood as well.

It renewed him.

* * *

: 

A/N: Yes. I know. Not much Seymour in this chapter either. I´m sorry. But he´ll have his main role soon back in this play! And I have not been updating for a loooong time. I´m terribly sorry: I hope that there´s still people who wish to continue reading this!

Since the summer vacations start soon, I´ll have more time to write.

Remember, the more (positive) reviews this story receives from the grace of you, the reader, the more inspired I am to continue! And the more inspired I am, a lot more faster the next chapter will be written! Ho-hum. So, if there was anything bad (or even good!) in this chappie, please let me know, and I shall write the next chapter with much more care.

Review?


	18. Father

The Day I Died.

_Father.  
_

You are running. You can _hear _her voices, calling out to you. You want to stop, but part of you demands you to take that next step, then another, and another. The hallway ends into a crossway. Which path should you take? Your breath is stuck in your throat, and tears are making their way out from your glassy eyes. You take the left turn, and continue your way down the corridor. _She _screams again. Your legs run slower. She is now begging for you to turn back, and with hesitation, with fear soaked in love, you turn your head to see if she´s really there, after you, gazing at you. You can hear her, but she´s not there. You are afraid. You are afraid for your life, and you run even faster. Her whispering grows into pleading sobs --you run-- then into furious outcry.

_Do you want to be at rest? _

"...your body will become the temple for your aeon..." The woman had said.

You don´t want to turn back now. You know that she´s not dead. She lives on, in you. But she´s not really _her. _You know it already: she is someone else, who only says she is your mother.

_You do?_

But this was wrong. Why are you still alive, when your mother died for you? Why are you even running? Why won´t you stop your useless escape? Stop it. _You are not worthy. _Cease your steps. _You were supposed to die. _Enough. _And be together with her, forever. _**Die.**

Your heart is squirming in agony. You are suffocating, and your mind is screaming, but you won´t stop. You force your legs to move and your lungs to work, but you are dying from the inside a little more with every step you take.

_Have you already forgotten?_

You´re a grown man now. You do not remember the time when you were in the corridor, running away from your own _mother _like she was nothing but a savage beast ready to rip your life, your soul, into shreds

But she is a beast to you now. She ´s living in your head now, in her last fortress, dreams. Instead of running trough hallways, you are now walking trough one, but the air is fresh, very unlike the dampness you can still sometimes smell.

But you can feel the guilt. You were supposed to die, too, but you were a coward. You are _still _running away from her. You are trying to find comfort from this suffocating guilt by gently stroking your new bribe´s cheek. She gazes at you, and her fear is blended with the disgust for you in her strange eyes, but the sun of Bevelle is soothing your soul with it´s warmth. Maester Mika is there, to bless your mockery of a marriage. There are people here, feeling that you are _something. _They applaud for your mercy. They bow before your power. It is very pleasing. But you are not pleased with _her. _

You hate her, your mother. Why didn´t _you_ matter? But even if you didn´t matter, **_they _**do matter, the people of Spira do matter, to _you. _You love your mother, and you hate your mother. You love those people who live in this same, insane world, but you also hate them. You know now what to do.

_You have._

_-- Power. _Thevery word tingles in your mouth in excitement, as you fall in love with it´s promise of peace, everlasting to you. And when you had all of Spira, your future too, would be everlasting. You love it, and you don´t want to stop. Even when the summoner is now sending you, you only regret that your plots failed and Spira´s misery would be hence everlasting. Unlike the greatness you once sought... but why you are not furious for this girl who defeated you? Why do you not threaten her? Why won´t you take her life? It was so easy for you, before -- why not now? Why do you just stand there, resigned, waiting for the final blow, the last movement of the summoner´s staff? Ah, I see now. You are waiting death. Death is your liberator, your secret lover. And now, you are dying for the last time. You are almost glad of the fact.

_But -- You´ll eventually wake up. _

And so he does. Rain is whipping his entire body, making him shiver and his eyes open to see what disturbs his sleep. For a long time, Seymour thought that he would find peace from death. But even the Farplane doesn´t want him now. He´s almost insulted to see that he´s still alive, when it was the last act he would expect. Was he so despicable that he wasn´t even allowed to die?

Seymour lay in the muddy ground, carefully inspecting the place in his chest where the stab-wound was only few hours ago, not caring about the whipping rain which had watered him soaking wet long ago. It didn´t matter. The skin of his chest was smooth, like no one had stabbed him in the first place.

He didn´t know if he should laugh or cry; the whole situation was reeking of irony. He, who had killed his father, almost wiped out a whole race, and had this weird love-affair with the idea that dead people had things _so_ much better than the living, hence having every justification to die, is once again kicked back to the world of the living. He had seen his life passing by in the front of his eyes. His whole life, compressed into few minutes of nightmares. He had seen himself_, his life, _in the eyes of a mere observer, he had watched how he had run away from the horror he had witnessed in the tender age of childhood.

Suddenly, all the pride what he took from his plans and schemes now vanished, leaving only a hollow, lonely feeling inside of him. For the first time, he was helpless. He felt the familiar feeling inside of him taking over him, suffocating everything. He now recognised that feeling: it was guilt. If he only had died in Zanarkand when his mother told him to, he would have been in peace, rather than in constant battle. Because life was just constant battle for him, Seymour just wanted to shut his eyes and let this daydream of a life pass him by. Or he would have done so if somebody wouldn´t be staring at him to the eye just a breath away from his face.

"_Why the heck are you here again!"_ A high pitched scream startled him, making him look at the girl who clearly broke all laws of decency by screaming to his ear when he was having one of his suicidal moments. Really, no decency whatsoever.

And why was he staring into swirling, spirally green eyes?

"I asked you: _Why the heck are you here again?" _The speaker seemed to possess immense powers, because she took a tight grip from the collar of his robes and yanked him up to sit, so they were staring each other. "You just couldn´t leave Yunie alone, could you? You sicko!" The girl, or whoever she was, fumed right in front of him and Seymour had the faint thought that he had seen her somewhere before.

"Well. Good day to you. And you were...?" With his aristocratic upbringing, Seymour was taught to be polite. So he was polite, even though he was sitting in mud, practically soaking from all the rain, while planning to commit suicide when this annoying bugger woke him up. A brisk slap to his cheek shrugged off all the remained thoughts of eternal slumber.

"Rikku. Of the Al-Bhed." Rikku muttered, and her seething tone didn´t leave any questions. "Oh, you´re _that _Rikku. I remember _you." _ Seymour muttered, and startled when he patted his red cheek. Rikku didn´t say anything, but only stared at something above him. "And I´m Lulu. Yuna´s sister. In a way." Thundered the cold voice above him, and Seymour quickly rose to his feet to see who was this other person who sounded like she was more related to a psychopathic Behemoth on drugs rather than the sweet, compassioned, beautiful Yuna. His eyes widened when he saw a...goth-lolita woman with a frightening doll. What an odd person to insist that Summoner Yuna would be her _sister. _"You have no idea who we are, do you?" The goth-lolita said, and Seymour blankly stared at the two.

"_Yes_ I know. You are...hmm...You are..."

Silence.

"Yuna´s guardians. Well, _former _guardians now." Lulu, the black mage, said, and after a moment of pondering, Seymour nodded in recognition.

"Oh yes, you people. Wonder why you weren´t more surprised to see me?" He asked, and Rikku shrugged. "Trust me, we would have been, if we didn´t already know that you came back." She said, and Seymour calmly lifted his brows. "How did you know that I came back?" He asked, but Lulu cut him short. "Well, when the necessary introductions are over, you can answer one basic question. Where is Yuna, and what did you do to her?" she questioned, and Seymour eyed her warily. "What do you mean? Has something happened to her?" He wondered with grave tone, and Rikku stomped her foot to the ground. "Man, _you_ were supposed to know that! What are we gonna do now? We have to continue our way, but I want to know that Yunie´s okay!" She sighed in frustration, and Lulu looked at her.

"It looks that we have no other choice but to take him with us. We have to go to Luca, before the Lord will find out about the resistance in there. The time is running out. Maester Seymour...is it even appropriate to call you a Maester? Anyway, Lord Seymour, this way. I know that it´s not fitting for your... _aristocratic_ ways, but you are going to have to ride with Rikku with the same chocobo. So, pack yourself up, it´s going to be crowded." She coldly said, and headed back to her bird.

"We were here just to pass trough and continue our way to Luca, and after what they...did...in here, I know that they´ll do the same thing in Luca, as well. I don´t know why you are even here, but this is your last chance to redeem yourself, Lord Seymour. After all, we are all fully aware what you did just few weeks ago. And I´m sure that Yuna, _especially, _knows about that..." She frostily said, and not missing the sloppily hidden innuendo, Seymour replied to her with an equally icy tone all the while keeping his dignified pose.

"I´m afraid that I cannot accompany your _charming_ presence with mine on your pointless journey, as I have more important matters to attend to. Like saving summoner Yuna, for example. And now, if you do not object, I shall continue my way to Bevelle, thank you." He turned, and was just about to leave when Rikku almost knocked him down as she rushed to block his way with her chocobo. "What _is it _with your obsession for my cousin? You know, I love Yunie like my very own sister, but there are hundreds of people who will soon end up in perhaps worse situation than she. We have no other choice but to go on, because if we divide, our chances to save her are close to nothing, and I want to save her _and _the rebels. We go save them now and Yuna after it, _sheána?" _

Seymour glared at the girl with clenched fists. Not only did she, a fifteen year old teenager, act like she was her superior, she also had the nerve to insult him by raping the language of his people with her dreadful Al-Bhed pronunciation.

Despite his blooming discontent for the silly girl, he nodded, and even put his dignity in danger by climbing on the back of the waiting chocobo. Since Rikku was already on the leash, Lulu was right.

It was _quite_ cramped.

-x-

The sun was already cowardly setting, letting the inevitable darkness take hold of the world once more and Lady Honoré gazed the final glimpses of the vanishing light trough her bedroom window. She was restless, and a sickening feeling dwelled in her stomach.

_You are going to betray your husband. _

Laetitia hastily grabbed her little bag and opened her drawers in order to stuff her belongings in there

_You are taking part in the most cruel crime you could imagine. _

Laetitia folded her clothes neatly on the bed. Her hands were shaking.

_He will **never** forgive you because what you will do now. _

Tears dwelled behind her eyes, and she fought hard in order to open the bag´s strings with her trembling hands.

_He will curse you and say that you didn´t mean anything to him. _

Her hands were now fumbling slower with the knot.

_He will hate you… _

Her hands now halted their movement, and a tired sob escaped from her, but the unforgiving voice of her thoughts did not cease its torment.

…_He will hate you and he will say that your son didn´t mean anything to him; that he could conceive another, he could love another woman. Another more faithful than **you. **_

With this thought hammering her mind, she felt like she was dying with her every short intake of breath. Laetitia knew what she was supposed to do.

She was going to Luca by herself, in order to give some valuable information to the resistance.

She knew that she didn´t necessarily need to go there, and that lady Yuna´s friends were already in there, to strengthen people´s resolve to overthrow her husband. She was committing a murder.

_A murder of your own husband. _

The cold voice rang in her mind, but Laetitia knew that Serian was not right.

Killing every half-breed in the world did not bring justice to neither of them. And she couldn´t watch how Serian with his men killed another Sion everyday, ripping the children away from the embrace of their mothers. Once, she had believed in him. Serian meant everything to her. But…if only-

_-If only **what? **You think that he will forgive you now? **No. **He will forget about you. As if you never existed in the first place. Leave him now, and you will die as well. _

Laetitia chocked back her tears. She knew that by betraying her love, she would die from the inside with every coming day. And then only thing left for her would be only a mere shell of her former self. But it didn´t matter, not anymore.

She grabbed her bag, and rested her hand at the cold metal of the doorknob.

She couldn´t let her son be forgotten.

With this lingering thought, she opened the door, stepped out of her glorious prison, and never looked back.

-x-

Silence was the only thing which was real at Luca that night.

The sun had already fled this dreadful city, and darkness crept effortlessly over the towering buildings.

As the figures of Lulu, Rikku and Seymour descended from the exhausted chocobos, the city did not greet them with joy as it had done in the past, but instead, these three travellers were greeted only with cold, indifferent stare.

It was almost like the city was a dark, cold, uncaring world of its own, isolated from the rest of Spira.

The group headed to the mansion in the outskirts of the city, where they had been instructed to go. The three glanced at each other at the front entrance, and Seymour tightened his hood´s knot, and looked down.

He had no idea why he was here. Yuna wasn´t here, and neither was Serian….Seymour was completely useless standing around these two morons, and he couldn´t complete his plans from here, either.

Hatred grew inside of him, suffocating him, taking his breath away.

He wanted so much these days.

Not only did he desire the very thing what had been in his mind all this time, he had also developed this rather harmful liking for the summoner. _"But…liking? No, it was not the right word. "Lust" wasn´t one either…" _He grew even more frustrated from the thought. _"Was "love" enough? But when you wanted to "love" someone so much that it hurt and made you feel like suffocating in this petty feeling, was that love?" _His face brightened a little._ "It must be. She will survive. She must survive. And I --" _Seymour had an expression of pure joy, "…_And I will have **everything **what I wanted! Both her and this…there will not be a middle in this, it must be all." _

But Seymour didn´t have time to enjoy this feeling for long, as Rikku noticed his expression of a trance-like delight. She furrowed her brows in concern.

"Hey, uh…snap out of it, will you? You really, _really_ look really, _really_ creepy doing that sneering and smiling for nothing. Don´t do that, okay?" She hastily whispered, while staring at him with her big, child-like eyes.

Seymour glanced back at her. Her obnoxiousness repulsed him. "_After all, what would she understand? She was no where near the level of purity, beauty and innocence what Lady Yuna possesses. The Lady Summoner is a godde--" _

"Seymour Guado, snap out of your ridiculous day-dreaming and open that door! Since you are such a noble person, you should make the grand entrance. Now, open that door." The older woman, the black mage, ordered him but he didn´t really hear.

Not that he really was paying any attention, either…He was doing quite all right while imagining his coming glory, and not one petty black mage could stop him. But for now….he played along.

He smiled his polite smile once again, bowed his head slightly, and _played along. _After all, all actors must play their parts, and Spira _was _his playhouse, no matter what Auron had said.

-x-

It is dark in the house of Judgement.

Only a silent breeze of fresh air lingers in the room, slithering inside from the open window.

The breeze makes the curtains, made from the lightest silk, to reborn, to dance in the tune of death.

Death…it´s atrocious fragrance has already crept to Bevelle.

The Inquisition are already killing non-believers in the streets of the Holy Citadel. But Serian doesn´t care. He watches this mockery of Judgement from his balcony, he is the mastermind behind this play, he is the artist observing his greatest masterpiece.

Very little interest him these days.

The massacres which are increasing not only in numbers, but also in their atrocity, are coming closer each day.

The fact hardly touches him.

Feeling bored, restless, he turns away from the tedious sight and makes his way down the corridor slowly, gracefully, just like his father had taught him to many years past.

He has a strange feeling devouring himself from the inside. It makes him restless, wary. He sometimes feels this way, like the night years ago, when the boy spoke to him from the mirror.

Serian fears this boy, for he always speaks of the most utter truth. The time when he said he was unworthy, that he was doomed already from the beginning….or the time when the boy had pressured him to kill his father, so that he could be free.

The boy _was _right.

Serian had backed away like a scared child when the night of the murder, his first, should have had taken place in. He would have been truly free that time. But he was _scared -- _Serian´s expression twisted from the mere pain of thinking that repulsive word -- and he fled, and he let his father live. Now, _He _haunts him, not letting Serian rest.

But the Boy….the Boy is always right. He is not sure if the Boy could help him in this, though. Serian is thinking of the Summoner, the false goddess. He must do something about her.

A sharp sting of pain in his head, real or imagined, commands him to seek the Boy´s help again. With fastening pace, he heads down to the basement, down to the nest of his childhood nightmares.

He has not been in here for years, and the air is thick with age and fear, for this is the place where Serian first received his father´s punishment.

He slowly makes his way down the corridor, and paintings of his fore-fathers seem to sneer at him. He is stoic, calm from the outside, but there is a storm of emotions ravaging his already shattering mind.

This odd feeling only increases with every step he takes, and by step and by step and by step, he wants nothing more than to turn back and flee. But Serian knows that it is useless, that one cannot escape his own nightmares. He walks to the end of the corridor, where a vast, dark hall spread around him in hunger to suffocate the little light he has left in his mind.

Serian can see _him _now.

The Boy is nothing but a pale shadow, a mere reflection of him, but Serian can see how he is smirking at his very human-like form. He walks closer to the mirror.

"_Ah, so you have come to see me again?" _The Boy sneers at him, and Serian lets out a shudder. He has never been this scared in a long time, perhaps never.

" I-I came to--" He stutters, and now he is reminded of himself, only over two decades younger when was the last time he spoke with the boy.

"_Spit it out, boy," _The pale boy´s face turns to his father´s, _"or else no-one will listen. And how could they do that? You are nothing but a failure, Serian. And that´s all what you´ll **ever** be." _He spits at his son, and Serian is stiff from fear.

Somewhere inside of him, he has the vague knowledge that mirrors can´t really speak and that he was actually making all of this up, but Serian didn´t really care, not now, not anymore.

"_What´s the matter, boy? Can´t handle it? You should have just killed me when you had the chance. Now I´m forced to watch this failure of a son standing right in front of me." _Instead of flying in to a rage of no limit, Serian took a terrified step back, while looking at the image of his elderly father with wide, wild eyes.

"_Oh, that´s right. You were all high and holy when you killed those people, but now when that whore of a Summoner thinks that your wife is not loyal to you, **now** you are all teary-eyed and scared. I didn´t raise my son to be a miserable failure! And if you honestly think that you are more stronger behind that atrocious shield of a human form, you are sorely mistaken." _The face curses, and Serian is overwhelmed by the fact that his father seemed to be even more frightening in the mirror than he actually remembers him being in real life.

"B-But Father…What am I to do? The woman, the summoner…she looks so much like Her, so much that it hurts! If the terrible things what she said are true, then I am indeed lost! Guide me, Father. Tell me what to do!" He pleads, and Commodus only regards his son with the utmost repulsion.

"_You dare to question your wife´s loyalty to you? Even when you sacrificed your own son for the Cause? You know that She hates those mud-blooded creatures just as much as I or you do. It was not me who gave the order for Sion´s execution, Serian. You knew this. Since it was **you **who wanted it to happen all along. You did it for the Cause! You did it for her! And I did it for **you! **_

_I killed your son because you wanted so. But you didn´t have the heart to do it yourself…and I wonder now. Why do you come to me now, on your knees, to plead some kind of solution for this mess you made by and for yourself? Your son is dead, my boy, accept it." _

Serian´s reply was swift, "Yes, Father. He is dead. But I can have him back, for death is not eternal. I have found a way to resurrect him, and to explain to him that I did it _because_ I love him. You said it yourself, Father. The most important desire requests the most dearest sacrifice, for it is the only way to achieve what you truly desire. And this is what I desired, Father. The mudbloods are soon no more. _You_ desired this too, Father." Serian declared, now without any falter of his voice.

"_Yes. But how will you bring your son to life, then? How can you cheat oblivion, boy?" _Commodus inquired his son, and continued with a more graver voice, _"Because the way of your filthy half-blooded brother is not possible for your son. You know this. Sion is now beyond salvation, my boy. You made sure of that." _

Serian felt his heart sting again from the unbearable, suffocating guilt, but still he nodded. "Yes. But I do not need my son´s soul, not this time. But….the way to bring his body back to life is rather easy, in the end."

"_And what will you do?" _

Serian only smiled in response, and his father´s eyes widened from disbelief.

"_You wouldn´t dare."_

Serian´s smile grew only wider.

_I forbid it!" _The elder man shrieked, but Serian cannot hear. He was too busy with dreaming his future in which the Summoner plays an important role in.

With a triumphant, slightly crumbling smile, he turned his back to the mirror in which his father still tried to stop his son from committing one more crime which is the most hideous one of them all.

"_She´ll hate you for this." _The voice warned him for the last time, and after a frozen silence, Serian replied, with his back still turned away from the mirror, "I know. But she will forgive me, eventually. I know that she will." He whispers, and his father looks like growing violently sick at any second. _"You will only satisfy your own selfish desire, Serian! It has nothing to do with saving Sion!"_

This time anger twisted Serian´s noble features. He turned to face the mirror and with one delightfully light punch, he smashed the mirror into thousand shards. His hand was bleeding now, but he didn´t feel any pain.

"_Death awaits you, Father. _You know this. You will die like the rest of us." He whispered into the dull air of the dungeon and headed for the prison where summoner Yuna was kept.

-x-

_A/N: Hooray. I decided to post this bugger again, and also checked the possible typos I wrote the last time. I also trie dto repair the format of the chapter, because screwed that one completely. After this, I´ll start to write the 19th chapter, which will be posted on a few week´s time. I can only write on the week-ends, you see. Eargh._

_Now, after a LONG hiatus on my fic, I´ve decided to continue…a lot has happened since I wrote my latest chappie: I lost my muse for a long time, then my computer totally died on me, and now, finally, here I am with a new inspiration to continue. Yay!_


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